PATTAYA: Local authorities expect to stop wastewater from overflowing to the coast when new pumps are installed within this month.
Officials of Pattaya City and the Pollution Control Department inspected the sea off South Pattaya beach on Saturday to find the cause of seawater contamination that started there last Wednesday.
Inspecting the area, Chao Nokyoo, the department's director for water quality management, said the South Pattaya beach was blackened
On Saturday, officials also removed dirty sand out of the South Pattaya beach and collected samples of polluted sea water for toxicity examination. Results of the tests would be known in two weeks, Mr Chao said.
According to him, pumps collecting wastewater for a 15-year-old treatment facility in the resort city partly broke down, leaving sewers 40% full. Rainwater has aggravated the situation, pushing the excess wastewater and garbage to the sea.
Mr Chao said he had asked the Pattaya City administration to keep the sewers in good condition and fix the pumps.
Wirat Jirasripaitoon, hygiene director of Pattaya, said the city received a 27-million-baht budget from the government and would install new pumps this month.