The news follows Phawita Rithdaeng and other officers from the Public Health Division at Chalong Municipality inspecting the fouled stream, which runs through the Siwalee 2 and Nantawan 2 divisions at Land & Houses Park, on Tuesday (Feb 12).
“We found that the water started changing colour from the wastewater treatment pipes in the Siwalee 2 section of the housing estate,” Ms Phawita explained.
“The black water flows from the Land & Houses estate, through other neighbourhoods in Chalong and into Chalong Bay,” she said.
“I believe the cause of the black water and the smell comes from a problem with the wastewater treatment system in the Siwalee 2 division, but I have yet to be able to confirm that as I do not know the details of the wastewater-treatment system working there,” Ms Phawita said.
Ms Phawita said that she contacted Premier Products Public Co Ltd, which installed the wastewater system in Siwalee 2, on Tuesday.
“I want to meet the representative from Premier Products Public Co Ltd about this black water. Also I must check the water0treatment system,” she told The Phuket News.
However, as of Friday (Feb 15), the company had yet to respond to her requests, Ms Phawita said.
“I will contact Premier Products Public Co Ltd again to make sure they uphold their responsibility in this,” Ms Phawita said.
“Next, I will call officials from the Environmental Department’s Region 15 (based in Phuket) to test this water for pollutants, and compare those results with tests by Premier Products Public Co Ltd,” she added.
Suphap Cheunban, Director of the Environment Department Region 15 office, told The Phuket News on Friday, “I have yet to receive any notice from Chalong Municipality about this.
“Our standard procedure after we find a polluted public water source is to issue two formal warnings before taking more serious action,” he added.