The investigation was ordered on Friday (Feb 7) in response to health concerns raised by local residents after the back wastewater was found again flowing into the sea at Kamala Beach.
Ms Preeyaporn said her focus was on environmental pollution, according to an official report posted by the PCD.
Ms Preeyaporn confirmed that the investigation was ordered by Chalermchai Sri-on, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment after he was made aware of the beach wastewater at Kamala.
Officials from the Phuket Environmental and Pollution Control Region 15 Office (PEO 15), and from other relevant agencies, inspected the blight the next morning.
Officials discovered that wastewater had been flowing from a public canal receiving runoff from the local community.
The canal water was found to be white and cloudy on the surface, with blackened water and sediment continuing some 250 metres before entering the sea.
A foul odor was also noticed, and the bottom of the canal appeared heavily polluted.
Kamala Subdistrict Administrative Organisation (OrBorTor) operates a community wastewater treatment system managed by the Wastewater Management Organisation (WMO), designed to process 1,000 cubic metres of wastewater a day, noted the official PCD report.
However, only 300 cubic metres ‒ just 30% of capacity ‒ is currently being processed due to the wastewater pumping station being located at a higher elevation than the wastewater level, pollution officials noted.
To address the issue, the PCD has recommended both immediate and long-term solutions, the official report continued.
In the short term, Kamala authorities are advised to spray microorganisms in the canal and on the beach to reduce odours
Additionally, microorganism tanks will be placed along the canal at intervals to further mitigate the smell.
The installation of a temporary water pump is expected to help accelerate wastewater processing by an additional 60 cubic metres per day.
Local officials have also been instructed to inspect wastewater discharge from coin-operated laundry services and hotels and report their findings by Feb 14.
For a long-term solution, plans are in place to construct two additional wastewater pumping stations to ensure that all wastewater is properly processed, said the PCD.
Efforts will also focus on enhancing the wastewater collection system and conducting annual sediment dredging to maintain water quality.
“Businesses and residents are urged to comply with wastewater disposal regulations to prevent further contamination,” the PCD report continued.
The PCD encouraged the public to report any illegal discharge of wastewater or waste into public water sources via the hotline 1650.
The PCD assured residents and visitors that the Phuket PCD office ‒- which did not raise the alarm of black wastewater again flowing across Kamala Beach ‒ will continue monitoring environmental conditions and implementing sustainable solutions to prevent future pollution incidents.
The return of black wastewater flowing across Phuket beaches has become an annual event, plainly observed by tourists and residents alike. So, too, has promises by officials to take ‘urgent action’ become an annual affair.
Deputy Minister of Interior Sabida Thaiseth during her visit in Phuket in November led a delegation to see first-hand dark wastewater flowing out into sea at Surin Beach.
That visit followed Phuket Governor Sophon Suwannarat announcing that Chinese state-owned enterprise CWEG Design & Consulting Co has been brought in to resolve critical wastewater problems at several locations across the island, starting with Karon and Kamala.
After Kamala, the Chinese state enterprise is to tackle wastewater ‘problems’ in Cherng Talay (including Bang Tao), Sakhu (including Nai Yang) and Srisoonthorn.
“This initiative is a key step in solving the wastewater issues that affect Phuket’s image as a tourist destination. By installing underground systems, more space will be available above ground for other uses,” Governor Sophon said.
The move to finally do something about Phuket’s beach wastewater woes ‒ which have returned annually for decades ‒ follows Dr Surasee Kittimonthon, at the time Secretary-General of the Office of National Water Resources (ONWR), revealing during an inspection tour of Phuket in 2023 that nearly 55,000 cubic metres of untreated wastewater is released in Phuket each day as the island does not have the capacity to treat it.
Apichart Sirisunthon, at the time chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Land, Natural Resources and Environment, arrived in Phuket on a study tour in March last year to investigate the island’s wastewater woes.
The visit by Mr Apichart followed black wastewater flowing across beaches and into the sea where tourists swim at Patong, Karon (see here and here), Kamala and Bang Tao.