Wastewater Management in
Urban Area: Bangkok,Thailand
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Wijarn Simachaya
Thiparpa Yolthantham
Pollution Control Department of Thailand
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment
e-mail: wijarn.s@pcd.go.thPresentation Outline
 Thailand at a Glance Urban Water Quality Management inThailand Situation of Water Quality in Bangkok
 Current Measures on Water Quality
Management in Bangkok
 Future Development Plan on Water
Pollution Control in Bangkok
 Conclusion and Recommendations

Thailand at a Glance
Thailand is situated in the heart of theSoutheast Asian mainland, covering an
area of 513,115 sq.km. and extends
about 1,620 km from north to southand 775 km from east to west.
 Thailand has a warm, tropical climate
affected by a seasonal monsoon.
 Population 64 million and density
about 132 people/km2
 Thailand can be divided into 25 river
basins. The average of annual rainfall
for the country is about 1,700 mm. The
available water quantity was about
3,300 m³/ capita/yearUrban Wastewater Management inThailand
1,687 Municipalities

MWW~2.5 M m3/d

BMA, Pattaya City

MWW. ~3.0 M m3/d(6,089) LAOs

MWW~ 9.0 M m3/d

The treatment capacity~ 3.2 M m3/d(~ 23 % of total MWW)

Total MWW~14.5 M
m3/d
Total BOD Loading~ 2,600 Ton BOD/d

Sources of Water Pollution in Thailand-Domestic : 1,687 Municipalities,
 6,089 LAOs,
 BMA, Pattaya City Approximately 14.5 M

Industry : >120,000 factories
 Approximately 2.8 M m3/d

m3/dAgriculture :Pig farm+ Aquaculture (Point source) 0.1
M m3/dPaddy field ( Non-point source)150
M m3/d5

Urban Wastewater Management inThailand
Urban Wastewater in the country:

 is one of the most serious environment problems.
 approximately 14.5 M m3/day of municipal
wastewater generated by the population around thecountry (2008) :9 (1,687) Municipalities ~ 2.5 M m3/d
9 (6,089) LAOs
~ 9.0 M m3/d
9 BMA, Pattaya City
~ 3.0 M m3/d

 101 treatment plants in the country have been
constructed (approximately 3.2 millions m3/day ofthe treatment capacity or 23 % of total wastewater) Major pollutant is organic waste.

Wastewater Collection and Treatment Systems

Central Wastewater
TreatmentCombined Sewer System

Design Criteria for Central
Wastewater Treatment: drain both rainfalls
and wastewater
within one system

Separate Sewer System: the sewerage anddrainage arecollected in separate
piping systems

Status of Municipal Wastewater
Treatment Facilities in Thailand
Location of 101 Municipal
Wastewater Treatment
Facilities in Thailand¾Constructed 90 Plants¾Under Construction 10Plants¾ Delayed (Samutprakan Province)
1 Plant88Situationof Water
QualityinThailandSituation of Water Quality in Bangkok

Dissolved Oxygen (DO) in the Lower Part ofthe Chao Phraya River from 1978 to 2009
6.0

4.0

Std. 2 mg/l
M in3.0

M ax
A ve

2.0
1.0

Year

1982
1979

1988
1985

1994
1991

2003
2000
1997

0.0
2009
2006

DO(mg/l)5.0

Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) in the Lower
Part of the Chao Phraya River from 1978 to 2009
12.0
Std. 4 mg/l

8.0

Min

6.0

Max

4.0

Ave

2.00.0

2009
2006
2003
2000
1997
1994
1991
1988
1985
1982
1979

BOD(mg/l)

10.0YearCurrent Measures on Water Quality
Management in Bangkok
Implementation of Central Wastewater Treatment Projects
 Improvement of the Community Wastewater TreatmentPlantsThe 12 community wastewater treatment plants from Housing
Authority are now being operated by BMA with total capacity of25,700 m3/day.

Canal Water Improvements

The project provided re-circulation of clean water to the canals andto oxygenate canal water with aerators.
 Three aerated lagoons systems for primary wastewater treatment in
the city are operated.
Legislation MeasuresEffluent Standards and enforcement

Public Relation and Participation
Public education and awareness raising Canal clean up activities Community participation e.g. water quality monitoringStatus of Central Wastewater Treatment Plants in Bangkok
PlantsCapacity(m3 /day)

Si Phraya

30,000ServiceService Pop
Areas (km2) Treatment
2.7120,000

Technology

Date ofOperation

Activated
Sludge, AS

Jan 1994(Contact Stabilization)

Chong
Nonsee200,000

Ratanakosin

40,0004.1

70,000

Two-Stage AS

May 2000Thoong Kru

65,00042.0

177,000

AS (Vertical
Loop Reactor)

February
2002

NongKheam

157,000

44.0520,000

AS (Vertical
Loop Reactor)

February
2002

Din Deang(Phase I)

350,000

37.0

1,080,000

AS with Nutrient

December2003

Chatujak

150,000

33.4

432,500

Total

992,000

191.7

2,979,500

28.5

580,000

AS (CyclicDec 1999

Sludge System)

RemovalAS

December
2005

Future Development Plan on Water
Pollution Control
 Construction Measures Three new wastewater treatment plants are to be constructed.

 Non-Construction Measures Legislation Measures Continue enforce of the effluent wastewater standards

 Public Relation Measures
 Public participation and awareness raising Wastewater Discharge Fees
 Implementation of the wastewater user charge

 Private Sector Participation

 Public Private Partnership (PPP) for the management and administrationof wastewater facilities

 Water Quality Monitoring and Evaluation

 Routine water quality monitoring network set up and availability of water

quality monitoring data

Conclusion and Recommendations
 Decentralized wastewater management systems

would also be useful and appropriate for large andmega cities.
 Sustainable management wastewater reclamation
requires synergistic interactions among thegovernment, private sectors and community sectors.
 The lesson learned for the implementation ofcentral wastewater treatment system in Bangkok,
 Planning in advance and at the same time of city planning Treatment technology depending on available land and theoperation and maintenance the system
 Public awareness and the acceptance of the treatment system tosupport willing to pay for user charges
 Law compliance and enforcement for the effluent standards forindividual buildings /factories /central wastewater treatment
facilities

Conclusion and Recommendations (Cont.)
 Best management practices on water

environment management for tropical region
should be shared to cover both point andnon-point sources pollution.
 Co-benefits approach of water environment
management and climate change mitigation
should be considered for the 2nd WEPA
emerging activities;
 Biogas production and utilization to reduce

methane (GHG) emission from wastewater
discharges
 Wastewater reuse and recycle to land application

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