BANGKOK, 25 June 2019(NNT) - According to the Pollution Control Department (PCD), 55 percent of water in the main rivers of Thailand is considered merely adequate or of poor quality due to discharges of untreated wastewater into the rivers. The department is conducting 150 random inspections late this month to start tackling the issue.


The PCD Deputy Director General Somchai Songprakob has presided over the government-public cooperation event to solve the wastewater issue, joining forces with some 400 government agencies, state enterprises, public organizations, and higher educational institutes. At the event, participants put forward a government blueprint focusing on wastewater management, designed to encourage government agencies, private firms, and the general public to be more aware of the wastewater issue and help reduce untreated wastewater discharges into natural water sources. Training sessions will be provided along with inspections and regulations according to the law.


The PCD is conducting inspections of wastewater treatment facilities and discharge systems at 150 government agency and state enterprise buildings in June and July this year. Respective organizations will receive notice to improve their treatment facilities should their results came back below standard. Organizations without wastewater treatment facilities will be required to treat all their discharged wastewater at a central facility, with fees to be paid according to the law.


The department has inspected water quality in key rivers across the country, with the results showing only 45 percent of them have a good level of water quality, while the remaining 55 percent are of adequate to poor quality, especially the lower parts of Chao Phraya River. Poor water quality results from pollution coming from communities, industries, agriculture, and untreated or not properly treated wastewater discharge from government buildings.

National News Bureau Of Thailand