Wastewater treatment pond planned on Koh Samui

Wastewater treatment pond planned on Koh Samui

Surat Thani governor Wichawut Jinto, yellow shirt, at a drainage tunnel which discharges wastewater from Ban Mae Nam community onto the local beach on Koh Samui, on Sunday. (Photo by Supapong Chaolan)
Surat Thani governor Wichawut Jinto, yellow shirt, at a drainage tunnel which discharges wastewater from Ban Mae Nam community onto the local beach on Koh Samui, on Sunday. (Photo by Supapong Chaolan)

SURAT THANI: Provincial authorities plan to build a 10-million-baht underground wastewater treatment pond at Ban Mae Nam community on Koh Samui, to end the discharge of dirty water from the area into the sea.

The move was spelled out by Surat Thani governor Wichawut Jinto after a Facebook user, subscribed under the name “Greg Lester”, complained on July 17 about the discharge of wastewater into Mae Nam public beach and asked authorities to address the matter.

Mr Wichawut led local officials to inspect the beach on Sunday. 

It was found that wastewater from buildings and dwellings flowed into the community’s drainage tunnel,  which discharges onto the beach. 

Sanitary works personnel of Koh Samui municipality were then dispatched to clean out wastewater, mud and sand left in the tunnel and restore a section of the beach eroded by the discharged water. 

Municipality mayor Ramnet Jaikwang told Mr Wichawut during the inspection that the problem had existed  for a long time. 

The municipality, he said, allocated a budget to build a wastewater treatment facility in the community but  local residents opposed the project, which they said would inconvenience them. 

Mr Wichawut stressed the problem must be tackled as soon as possible as the community is home to more than 200 households as well as restaurants, which all discharge wastewater onto the beach. 

The province, he said, had allocated 10 million baht to construct the underground wastewater treatment pond, about 12 metres wide, 12.5m long and 3m deep. It could contain 500 cubic metres of water. 

On Wednesday, authorities will hold a meeting with the local villagers and seek their cooperation in ending the discharge of wastewater into the sea, as it could hinder tourism, the governor said. Mae Nam beach is one of the most beautiful on Koh Samui, he added. 

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT (7)