We knew HCMC tap water had its issues, but we had no idea it was this bad.

According to Thanh Nien, citing Saigon Tiep Thi, independent studies have found antibiotics and hormone-disrupting substances in the city’s tap water which have gone undetected and untreated since there are neither monitoring nor to decontamination systems in place.

One such study was conducted by Associate Professor Nguyen Tan Phong of the HCMC University of Technology in July which detected “nonylphenol ethoxylates at the Tan Hiep Water Plant and in tap water samples collected throughout the city.”

The chemical, often found in detergents, is extremely toxic comes from factories along the Dong Nai River which feed the plants that supply tap water to millions of HCMC residents.

In addition to nonylphenol ethoxylates and antibiotics, the Health Ministry has previously announced that high levels of manganese, iron and microorganisms were found to be prevalent in the city’s water supply.

Hoang Thi Thanh Thuy, a member of Tuan’s research team was particularly alarmed by the presence of antibiotics which could lead to resistant bacteria for which there are few treatments and nonylphenol ethoxylates that “can cause deformities among newborns, hormonal imbalances and increase one's risk of cancer.”

According to Dang Ngoc Chanh of the HCMC Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, the government needs to step up its game:

“The government needs to follow up and make sure people follow these guidelines. Meanwhile, water treatment plants should be upgraded with new technology because they are drawing water from polluted sources."

If it weren’t so serious, we could probably find some humor in tainted tap water (NSFW):

[Thanh Nien // Photo via Steve Johnson]