Ho Chi Minh City is currently evaluating a multi-million dollar plan to construct a substantial underground water reservoir beneath the football pitch of the Linh Tay Sports Center, located in the Thu Duc area. This ambitious project aims to alleviate the severe and persistent flooding that has plagued the region for many years.
The proposed underground reservoir is designed to hold an impressive 13,000 cubic meters of rainwater, equivalent to the capacity of approximately 650 large cargo trucks. Its primary function will be to protect major roads from inundation following heavy downpours, a common occurrence in the area.
According to the Thu Duc Infrastructure Development Center, the geography of the district resembles a basin, with elevation differences of nearly 30 meters. This geological feature allows rainwater from higher ground to easily flow into lower areas. Compounded by an aging drainage system that struggles to cope with the volume of water, several key routes, including To Ngoc Van, Pham Van Dong, Duong Van Cam, and the vicinity around Thu Duc Market, frequently experience severe flooding.
The reservoir itself will be built beneath the football field at 16 Tran Van Nua Street. It is planned to measure 70 meters by 50 meters, with a depth of 5.2 meters. Construction will utilize specialized hollow plastic panels known as Cross-wave technology. The underground project is estimated to cost 178 billion Vietnamese Dong, approximately $7 million USD, which also covers the inclusion of ponds, pump rooms, water collection pipes, and a comprehensive sewage system. Once completed, the football field above will be fully restored and made available again for sports and recreational activities.
Authorities have indicated that beyond its primary flood mitigation role, the underground reservoir could also serve as a crucial water source for firefighting and irrigation systems, offering multifaceted benefits to the community. Experts have noted that such land-saving methods are already widely implemented in densely populated cities like Singapore and Tokyo, Japan, where available land is scarce and climate change challenges are increasingly prevalent.
If the project receives approval, the Linh Tay reservoir would be approximately 130 times larger than a similar underground reservoir constructed in 2017 on Vo Van Ngan Street, also in the Thu Duc area, which received assistance from Japan.
A former deputy chief architect of Ho Chi Minh City highlighted that building underground reservoirs beneath existing football fields offers the advantage of combining multiple functions within a single location. However, he also cautioned that underground reservoirs are inherently expensive. They require robust structural engineering to ensure the stability and usability of the ground above and typically cost more than restoring or digging natural lakes or ponds.
Ho Chi Minh City had previously set a target to build seven reservoirs as part of its broader flood management strategy – six underground and a 20-hectare surface reservoir at Go Dua in Thu Duc, with a combined budget exceeding 1 trillion Vietnamese Dong (over $37 million USD). However, these projects have faced delays due to technical standards and funding shortages. In addition to the underground reservoir proposal, Thu Duc authorities are also advancing plans to enhance the district’s drainage canal system, which would divert water into the Nha Tra and Thu Duc canals, thereby easing pressure on roadways. Officials have also called for dredging and embankment reinforcement of the Thu Duc canal, alongside the installation of pumping stations capable of moving 120,000 cubic meters of water per hour.
