The issue came to a head last week when the Kamala Tambon Administration Organisation (OrBorTor) received an onslaught of complaints about the canal, which empties into the sea at the northern end of Kamala Beach, turning black and reeking of the foul stench of sewage.
The complaints, filed through the Pineapple Eyes community network Line Group, spurred the Kamala OrBorTor and the Kathu District Office to have a backhoe excavate a channel last Friday (Aug 17) so that the fetid water could flow across the sand and into the beach water. (See story here).
“We found three major sources that release untreated wastewater into the canal. One is a beachfront business beside the canal, the other two are workers’ camps further upstream,” Kamala OrBorTor Deputy Chief Executive Nopporn Karuna told The Phuket News this morning (Aug 24),
“The business released sewage into the canal because of it doesn’t have a completed wastewater-treatment system yet,” he said.
“The two workers’’ camps nearby released used wastewater without using grease traps,” he added.
The business and the company representatives responsible for maintaining the workers’ camps have been issued formal warnings giving them seven days from Aug 17 to fix the problems,” Mr Nopporn explained.
“They have not been charged yet, but they will be punished if we find out that this continues. There will have no more excuses to give us again,” he said.
“Failure to rectify the problems will see the Kamala OrBorTor order the three companies involved to shut down any activities at the three sites until the wastewater issue has been improved in accordance with municipal law,” Mr Nopporn added.
“We will return to inspect the wastewater released at these three sites next week,” he said.
“We are looking forward to a positive result to our warnings, but we will go to inspect the wastewater they are releasing next week and test it through chemical analysis to ensure it complies with environmental regulations,” Mr Nopporn said.