Deteriorating quality found in several Thai water sources

BANGKOK, November 17 (TNA) - Water quality has been found deteriorating in several canals and rivers in Thailand, caused by impacts from prolonged inundations. The Thai Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment's Pollution Control Department reported on Wednesday that, according to its recent survey, up to some 54 per cent of samples taken from 98 local water sources, including the Chao Phraya, the Tha Chin, the Lop Buri and the Pasak Rivers, as well as several canals connecting to the main rivers, were found highly-contaminated with low levels of dissolved oxygen (DO) of less than 4 milligram per litre, particularly those in Bangkok, and adjacent Pathum Thani and Nontaburi Provinces. The Pollution Control Department report indicated that low DO levels were also detected at Mae Klong and Tah Chin seaside-river mouths, at the upper part of the Gulf of Thailand, cautioning that water quality along Thai coastal areas will probably further deteriorate next month, as more contaminated water is being discharged to the sea. The Pollution Control Department said that it is working together with relevant agencies to urgently resolve the problem, along with having distributed effective micro-organisms or EM balls to flooded communities for initial water treatment and having prolonged floodwater at affected industrial estates treated before being drained out to the sea. (TNA)