Vietnam publishes technical guidelines for industrial wastewater and sludge reuse

UNDP Vietnam, with support from the government of the Netherlands, has published Technical Guidelines on Wastewater and Sludge Reuse for industrial parks and businesses, launched in Hanoi on 28 July 2026 under UNDP's Accelerate Circular Economy for Business (ACE-Biz) project.

The guidelines are advisory rather than legally binding.

They are intended to help industrial park operators and businesses select appropriate reuse technologies, manage risk, operate safely and control post-treatment water quality to meet environmental protection requirements.

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They set out a health-risk-assessment methodology spanning the full chain from technology selection to distribution-network management.

The document was developed with the Institute of Environmental Science and Engineering at Hanoi University of Civil Engineering and the DEEP C Industrial Zone Complex, with Vietnam's Environment Agency participating in the launch.

A pilot scheme in Hai Phong

The guidelines draw on a pilot reuse system at the Đình Vũ Industrial Park (DEEP C1) in Hai Phong, designed to treat 1,000 cubic metres a day drawn from a centralised treatment plant handling around 6,000 cubic metres a day, using nanofiltration combined with reverse osmosis.

Three reuse scenarios were assessed: supply to cooling systems; irrigation and street washing; and higher-grade treatment for production use and partial domestic use.

UNDP has said the pilot provides a basis for scaling reuse to 1,000–1,800 cubic metres a day at DEEP C and other industrial parks.

Vũ Thái Trường, head of UNDP Vietnam's climate change, energy and environment division, said:

‘Wastewater reuse is not only a technical solution, but also a development solution. When water is circulated and used more efficiently, we not only reduce pressure on water resources but also increase resilience to climate change, promote the circular economy and improve businesses' competitiveness.'

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Filling a regulatory gap

Vietnam's 2020 Law on Environmental Protection and 2023 Law on Water Resources permit treated wastewater reuse but had lacked technical guidance to support it.

A gap the new document is desi0gned to close, with implications for sample handling and analytical testing providers serving industrial parks in Vietnam and the wider Southeast Asian move toward circular water-economy standards.