Dept mulls waste water plan

The Department of Pollution Control is considering a new option to discharge treated water from the Klong Dan wastewater treatment plant to nearby agricultural land and factories, instead of releasing it into the sea.

Department chief Wicharn Simachaya yesterday said the Wastewater Management Authority was involved in the talks.

One option is to discharge treated water to farmers for their crops and industrial plants in the area, he said.

However, he did not provide details of the scheme nor say how many options were being considered.

However, the plan will have to be agreed upon by local communities, he said.

If the locals oppose the option, more research will need to be conducted into the matter.

Previously, the department arranged for a study for the Klong Dan wastewater treatment plant, including ways to extend a 10km pipeline from the shore into the sea to dilute the treated water.

But locals opposed the idea because they feared the treated water might destroy their mussel farms.

Mr Wicharn said Environment Minister Gen Surasak Karnjanarat will visit the site and talk with local communities to seek suggestions about the project, insisting that any decision made by the department must be agreed to by residents in the area.

Meanwhile, Dawan Chantarahassadi, a local activist, strongly opposed the new idea, saying the department should carefully study whether the wastewater pipeline and another operating system are functioning properly now as they have been left unused for more than a decade.

Ms Dawan suggested the department turn the plant into a marine breeding centre and warned the construction of the new pipeline to transfer waste water to other locations would not be worth the investment as it would require a massive amount of funds.