Wastewater still flowing into Mudong Canal in Chalong

Officials from the Environment Office Region 15 in Phuket, along with Chalong municipal officials, have inspected the Mudong Canal.

Water in the canal flows through villages and markets in Chalong and Wichit before getting to the open sea.

Local villagers were complaining that the untreated water caused fish to die and that there was a bad odour all the time. The wastewater tested at 1.7 milligrams per litres of foreign substances in the water which is considered dangerous for animals and the local ecology.

Chalong Mayor Samran Jindaphon says, “Chalong is an important tourism area where many tourists, locals and expats live. We need to seriously solve this problem. If not it will affect tourism and local people’s health.”

“For a short term solution, we are using natural treatments because the black water in the canal is caused by outflow from the water drains. Wastewater must be treated before being released into the canal.”