Factories urged to supply non-toxic wastewater to farmlands

BANGKOK, 8 March 2016 (NNT) - The Ministry of Industry has devised a contingency plan to protect manufacturers that are likely to be affected by the drought crisis.

Industry Minister Atchaka Sibunruang has revealed after an inspection of 130,000 factories that none of them have yet to suffer from water shortages. Only a few claimed to have received poor quality raw materials, since many agricultural producers have been affected by the drought.

The Department of Industrial Works has proposed a short-term solution to encourage factories to reduce water usage and recycle wastewater whenever possible. The Industry Minister added that wastewater from food factories that do not contain toxic chemicals can be released to farmlands to sustain crop growth, in the event of a prolonged drought crisis.

Mrs. Atchaka estimated that around 500,000 cubic meters of non-toxic wastewater, which can sustain up to 50,000 rai of farmland, would be released daily from 2,300 food factories.

They have also been advised to use groundwater instead of tap water and refrain from releasing wastewater into natural water sources in the summer. In the long-term, water filtration technology will be introduced to ensure sufficient water for factories. Factory operators are also urged to increase their water reserves.


-- NNT 2016-03-08

Signs of panic? As Thailand is the world hub of sustainable development, why hasn't this been done before if it is a viable long term measure?

what could possibly go wrong....

put the water intake pipes downstream from the factory, force them to clean it themselves

not gonna happen

what could possibly go wrong....

exactly my thoughts.

next headline: "bizar genetic deformations in thai new-borns probably caused by foreign milk-powder"

Many years ago when I was Operations Director of a large Thai manufacturing facility, all the staff and management in charge of waste water from the manufacturing area were Thai. They took there engineering skills and developed, at the university and developed an ISO 14000 water process system, which ensured the water going out of the plant was cleaner and less alkaline then the water taken in. There are many Thai companies which care about the environment. In many manufacturing facilities at the industrial estate operated by the Ministry of Industry, which have top of the line waste water treatment facilities. The problem lies in the old industrial areas in Samut Prakan, where for decades chemical from the Leather Tanning industry was never treated and allowed to soak into the land.

Do a good deed, take a leak on the rice field.

Do a good deed, take a leak on the rice field.

Not so far fetched.