Waste water flowing in Mudong Canal

Local residents near Mudong Canal in Wichit, Phuket, are calling for officials to clean up their act after wastewater has been flound flowing in the canal and out to the sea. Dead animals have also found floating in the canal.

Yesterday (August 22) officials from the Environment Office Region 15 Phuket and others inspected the Mudong Canal.

Local residents say the water is black and has a bad smell all along the canal. A lot of dead marine animals such as shrimps, crabs and fish have been found floating in it.

Expert from the environment office Kanchit Sunthornkarn says, “At this stage we have found that wastewater is coming from drainage produced by the local community. There are housing estates, restaurants and houses in the area.”

“We have to control the wastewater problem from the original sources. The law must be enforced by relevant officers. We still don’t have the technology to solve wastewater in the canal once its made its way into the canal system. If we add more microorganisms, it will be worse.”

“For a short term solution, we have to use natural treatment because the black water in the canal is caused by black water from the water drains. For a longer term solution, we have to find the original sources. Wastewater has to be treated before being released into the canal.”