Current Situation and Water Quality
Management in Thailand
Dr. Chaiyo Juisiri
Inland Water Section, Water Quality Management Division
Pollution Control Department (PCD)
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE)

The 15th WEPA Annual Meeting
8 February 2020
BangkokWater Quality Management Division
WQM
Domestic Wastewater Section
Inland Water Section

Industrial Wastewater Section
Marine Water Section
Administrative Section

Agricultural Wastewater Section

Planning and Evaluation Section

Responsibilities :✓✓✓✓Establish water pollution control policy
Formulate water quality standards and strategies
Monitor water quality & water pollution
Provide water pollution advice

Inland Water Quality Monitoring
Surface Water Resources in Thailand : can be divided into River 25 Basins123456789101112Salaween

13

Tha ChinKhongKokChi
Mun
Ping
Wang
YomNanChao Phraya
Sakae Krang
Pasak

14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25

Mae Klong
Prachinburi
Bang Pakong

Tonele Sap
Eastern Coast
PhetchaburiWestern CoastSouth-East Coast
Tapi
Songkhla LakePattani
South-West CoastSurface water monitoring(368 Monitoring Stations– 4 times/year)
48

Main rives

4Lakes2017201971Automatic
Monitoring
Stations75

Automatic
Monitoring
Stations

5 main parameters:• Temperature• pH• Dissolve Oxygen (DO)• Conductivity• Salinity

State of surface water quality, Thailand

The results of testing water quality by WQIfrom country’s 48 majors rivers and 6 standing
water sources showed the results ofgood 45%
Fair 43%
Poor 12%None of Water sources determined excellent
and very poor water quality index(as of January - September 2018).

Section BreakInsert the Sub Title of Your Presentation

201
6201
7WQI

Water sources in the019
201
Northeasternregion8have better waterquality than otherregions, while water
sources in the Central
region have lower
water quality than toother regions.

The water quality monitoring in 64 provinces arerevealed that there are 27 provinces with good quality,
29 provinces with fair quality and 8 provinces with poorquality.
The best water quality is in Nakorn Phanom while
the poor water quality is in the central region.
The top five rivers with the poorest water quality.
1. Lower Chao Phraya
2. Lower Lamtakhong
3. Lower Tha Chin
4. Upper Phangrad
5. Middle Tha Chin

WQIInland Water Quality Monitoring➢ 368 General Monitoring Stations➢ 75 Automatic Monitoring Stations❑ 48 Main Rivers❑ 4 Standing Surface Water Resources(lakes)❑ 4 times/year%Surface
Water quality situation in the 10 years period

WQI

3. Sources of Water Pollution

Agricultural Wastewater
3.9 million cu.m.

Not
sure

Industrial Wastewater
17.8 million cu.m.

Domestic Wastewater

Not
sure

9.9 million cu.m.

368 Sampling station
75 Automatic station

Andaman Sea

62 Samplingstation

Gulf of Thailand

140 Sampling station

Sources of Water Pollution (Daily)

Domestic WastewaterIndustrial Wastewater

Agricultural Wastewater

9.9 million cu.m.

17.8 million cu.m.

178 million cu.m. (*Water use)

?

?

X 150
66

million •persons •••lpcd
Building effluent standard
Real estate effluent standard
Central wastewater treatment plant
effluent standard

XXX,000 factories•

Industrial effluent standard

4.9 million cu.m.
(For pig farm and aquaculture)••

Pig farm effluent standard
Aquaculture effluent stardard

Acts and Responsible organizations•

Enhancement and Conservation of National Environmental
Quality Act (NEQA)

PCD, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment(MONRE)•

Building control Act

Ministry of Interior (Department of interior,Municipalities)•

Public Health Act

Ministry of Health (Department of Health, Municipalities)•ACT on the Maintenance of the Cleanliness and Orderliness ofthe Country•

The Factory Act•

Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand Act

Ministry of Interior (Department of local administration,Municipalities)
Department of Industrial Works, Ministry of Industry

Domestic Wastewater Management
Operated 97 plants(2.6 million cu.m./day)

X 150
lpcd

66

46%
Stabilization pond

handle ~ 26%

millionpersons105 plants

9.9million
cu.m./day

7,852

Local Administrative
Organizations

1.8 billion
USD

Aerated lagoons

38%

2 plants
In 1985

In 2018

Fecal Sludge Management (FSM)

Houseof wastewater
generated

16%

Investment
costActivated sludge~ 74%

are partially treatedby the onsite
sanitation units

Buildings
Combined Sewer
Water bodies

Land application

Onsite treatment system

Emptying

Transportation

FS treatment plant

Soil conditioner

Laws and Regulations for domestic wastewater and faecal sludge managementin Thailand
Real estate
effluent standard(> 100 houses) under
Enhancement and Conservation ofNational Environmental Quality Act(NEQA)
BOD < 30 mg/L
SS < 40 mg/L

Proposed by LAO
Enforced by PCD, REO
Building
effluent standard(10 Types) under NEQA

Central wastewater
treatment plant
effluent standard
under NEQA

Wastewater tariff
under NEQA
Enforced byPCD, REO

Approved byPollution Control Committee

BOD < 30 mg/L
SS < 40 mg/L

Enforced by
PCD, REO

BOD < 20 mg/L
SS < 30 mg/L

Draft) TISI
standards
For <10 cu.m./daycollection and disposal under Public Health
Act and ACT on the Maintenance of theCleanliness and Orderliness of the CountryAnnouncedby LAO

Onsite Installation by 44th and51st Ministerial regulation
under Building control Act

Approved for installation
by LAO
Approvedby LAO

Allowance private company tooperate FSM under Public
Health ActDraft) Solid fraction standard
Under Public Health Act andproposed by Public HealthDepartment(Draft) effluent standard
Under Public Health Act andproposed by Public HealthDepartment

Building effluent standard

Ministerialregulation
underIMPROVEMENTAND
CONSERVATION
OF THENATIONAL
ENVIRONMENTALQUALITY ACT,
B.E. 2535 (1992)

44th and 51st Ministerial regulation
under Building control Act(Adapted from building effluent standard
Size C and D)

Building effluent standard
Parameters

Unit

Sizing of Building

ABCDE

1. pH-

5-9

5-9

5-95-95-9

2. BOD

mg/L

2030

40

50200

mg/L

3040505060

3.2 SettleableSolids

mL/L

0.5

0.5

0.50.5-

3.3 Total DissolvedSolids*mg/L

500

500

500500-4. Sulfide

mg/L

1.0

1.0

3.04.0-5. TKN

mg/L

35354040-

6. Fat, oil & Grease

mg/L

20202020100

3. Solids
3.1 SuspendedSolids*Total Dissolved Solids is increased from normal value in tap water

Real estate effluent standard
Sizing of Real estateParameters

Unit

100 - ≤ 500
households

1. pH-5.5-9.0

5.5-9.0

2. BOD

mg/L

30

2040303. Solids
3.1 Suspended
Solidsmg/L> 500
households

3.2 Settleable Solids

mL/L

0.5

0.5

3.3 Total Dissolved
Solids*

mg/L

500

500

4. Sulfide

mg/L

1.0

1.0

5. TKN

mg/L

3535

6. Fat, oil & Grease

mg/L

2020

*Total Dissolved Solids is increased from normal value in tap water

Centralized wastewater treatment
effluent standard
Parameters

UnitValue

1. pH-

5.5-9.0

2. BOD

mg/L<20*

3. Suspended Solids

mg/L<30 (<50 for SP)

4. TN

mg/L

<20

5. TP

mg/L

<2

6. Fat, oil & Grease

mg/L<5*Filtrated BOD for stabilization pond

Master plan for Water Quality Management in Thailand (2018-2037)

Within 10 years (2027)•Improve surface water quality in 59 areas (48 main rivers)and maintain them•

Improve Coastal marine quality in 166 areas and maintainthem

Mitigation 1: Prevent and Reduce
wastewater at source

Mitigation 2: Control wastewater
discharge

Mitigation 3: Increasing efficiency
in wastewater management

Master plan for Water Quality Management in Thailand (2018-2037

Within 10 years (2027)•Improve surface water quality in 59 areas (48 main rivers)and maintain them•

Improve Coastal marine quality in 166 areas and maintainthemMitigation 1: Prevent and Reduce
wastewater at source•Promote and enhance Green industry and Ecoindustry such as Zero discharge, Reuse andRecycle•

Minimize domestic wastewater at source suchas install high performance onsite system,
promote products which design forenvironment (DfE)•Modify or Improve process for minimizingagricultural wastewater generation such as
SMART farm, promote Good Agriculture
Practices (GAP)•Prevent pollution from water transportationsuch as develop safety standard for watertransportation (reduce oil leakage fromaccident), develop oil spill monitoring system
in coastal areas

Mitigation 2: Control wastewater
discharge

Mitigation 3: Increasing efficiency
in wastewater management

Master plan for Water Quality Management in Thailand (2018-2037)

Within 10 years (2027)•Improve surface water quality in 59 areas (48 main rivers)and maintain them•

Improve Coastal marine quality in 166 areas and maintainthemMitigation 1: Prevent and Reduce
wastewater at source

Mitigation 2: Control wastewater
discharge

Mitigation 3: Increasing efficiency
in wastewater management•

Install more central wastewater treatment inprioritized and sensitive areas such as highpolluted area, tourist area and special area•

Rehab for current central wastewater
treatment•Collect wastewater treatment fee•

Propose and implement Permit system•

Enhance law enforcement, integrate among
regulation (minimize the gap)

Master plan for Water Quality Management in Thailand (2018-2037)

Within 10 years (2027)•Improve surface water quality in 59 areas (48 main rivers)and maintain them•

Improve Coastal marine quality in 166 areas and maintainthem

Mitigation 1: Prevent and Reduce
wastewater at source

Mitigation 2: Control wastewater
discharge

Mitigation 3: Increasing efficiency
in wastewater management•

Enhance wastewater management by Public
Private Partnership (PPP)•Big Data – integrate water quantity andquality, point source database, monitoring
system, warning system•

Promote green products and services•

Capacity building for local staffs•

Raising awareness for all stakeholder•

Study on global mitigation for water qualitymanagement

Water Quality Problems• Wastewater from domestic, factories, and agricultural activities aredischarged to water courses• Law enforcement is inefficiency• Water courses are deteriorated (Carrying capacity)• Public awareness is not nation-wide• Limitation on wastewater management i.e.
• lack of effluent standard or mitigation for some point sources such as small
factories, or non-point source•

Overlap among regulations•

In prioritized municipalities, they do not plan for wastewater management intheir areas

Water Quality Management Bureau
Pollution Control Department

92 Soi Phahon Yothin 7
Phahon Yothin Rd., Phayathai,Bangkok 10400, Thailand

02 298 2000
https://www.facebook.com/PCD.go.th
www.pcd.go.th