Urban water supply plant handed over to Costa Rica

CTCE builds B&R project, trains local staff to manage facility

An urban water supply plant built by China Tiesiju Civil Engineering Group (CTCE) was successfully handed over to Costa Rican operators on Jan 7 as a China-aided project after more than three years of construction, helping provide sufficient and safe water to tens of thousands of residents in two cities.

As the third China-aided project in Costa Rica, it will help Canas residents to access sufficient water and allow people in Bebedero to eliminate excessive arsenic in their drinking water.

"This is of vital importance in safeguarding the health of local residents and improving their living environment, while jointly contributing to building the Belt and Road," said Gong Huadong, manager of the project from State-owned CTCE.

"The project is crucial to local development, as Canas has not started a housing project for 12 years due to lack of water. Besides, its advanced equipment and technology bring high-quality water, helping boost the local commercial and production development," said Costa Rican expert Francisco Alberto Mendoza Mata.

The project officially began construction in April 2019. Three months later, Costa Rican President Carlos Alvarado Quesada visited the construction site in July to show his appreciation.

Since July 2018, Chinese technicians began to visit the designated site for preliminary survey and construction plans before its official construction.

Gong was appointed by CTCE to serve as project manager in Costa Rica in 2019, given his sound work experiences and excellent management abilities.

Gong, 38, joined CTCE upon his graduation from university in 2008. He has participated in building six livelihood projects in Shanghai, Nanjing, Jiangsu province, Kunming, Yunnan province and Xuzhou, Jiangsu province.

To ensure the smooth progress of the project in Costa Rica, Gong led his management team to conduct detailed on-site surveys, organizing numerous expert deliberations and optimizing the construction plan.