Wastewater reclamation is becoming increasingly important not only in water scarce areas but also in polluted cities and environments. As a result, the practical implementation of such projects will face many challenges in the future, as shown in Table 7.
Main concerns regarding wastewater reclamation practices in Thailand
| Concern . | Comments . |
|---|---|
| Framework of managing treated wastewater resources | Thailand has no legal framework for treated wastewater resources, inventory planning, quality control and protection. Wastewater resources should be integrated into the national water management plan to tackle inadequate water supply at the local level to support increased water demand in three sectors: agriculture, industry, and domestic settings. |
| Sustainable financial management | Financial budgets for the management of current WWTPs by local governments are insufficient. Additional costs due to wastewater reclamation facilities and O&M at the local government level need to be assessed along with the existing collection of wastewater treatment facilities for sustainable financial management. A pricing standard method regarding reclaimed water should be defined and compared to that of conventional subsidized water treatment plants. |
| Market for reclaimed water | Legislative provisions do not enforce the reuse of wastewater in regular situations. Hence, to expand the reclaimed water market, legal measures should be taken alongside environmental tax measures. Water users' confidence also needs to be built by stringent effluent quality standards. Social acceptance is essential for the expansion of the water reuse market, so social measures should be developed and promoted. |
| Proper reuse of treated wastewater | In drought situations, the reuse of effluent is widely performed in suburban areas for agriculture and aquaculture, while there are insufficient legal standards and specific guidelines for each water activity. Due to health and environmental concerns, more specific and stringent effluent standards are needed. |
| Quality control and monitoring of WWTPs | Effluent quality monitoring in WWTPs, at least once per month, rarely involves a real-time system, making it difficult to deal with health problems occurring from the reuse of treated wastewater. More stringent monitoring programs to increase the reliability of WWTPs are necessary to reduce the risk associated with exposure to pollutants and pathogens from treated water. Additional parameters such as emerging pollutants and microbial contaminants according to international standards should form part of water reuse planning. |
| Concern . | Comments . |
|---|---|
| Framework of managing treated wastewater resources | Thailand has no legal framework for treated wastewater resources, inventory planning, quality control and protection. Wastewater resources should be integrated into the national water management plan to tackle inadequate water supply at the local level to support increased water demand in three sectors: agriculture, industry, and domestic settings. |
| Sustainable financial management | Financial budgets for the management of current WWTPs by local governments are insufficient. Additional costs due to wastewater reclamation facilities and O&M at the local government level need to be assessed along with the existing collection of wastewater treatment facilities for sustainable financial management. A pricing standard method regarding reclaimed water should be defined and compared to that of conventional subsidized water treatment plants. |
| Market for reclaimed water | Legislative provisions do not enforce the reuse of wastewater in regular situations. Hence, to expand the reclaimed water market, legal measures should be taken alongside environmental tax measures. Water users' confidence also needs to be built by stringent effluent quality standards. Social acceptance is essential for the expansion of the water reuse market, so social measures should be developed and promoted. |
| Proper reuse of treated wastewater | In drought situations, the reuse of effluent is widely performed in suburban areas for agriculture and aquaculture, while there are insufficient legal standards and specific guidelines for each water activity. Due to health and environmental concerns, more specific and stringent effluent standards are needed. |
| Quality control and monitoring of WWTPs | Effluent quality monitoring in WWTPs, at least once per month, rarely involves a real-time system, making it difficult to deal with health problems occurring from the reuse of treated wastewater. More stringent monitoring programs to increase the reliability of WWTPs are necessary to reduce the risk associated with exposure to pollutants and pathogens from treated water. Additional parameters such as emerging pollutants and microbial contaminants according to international standards should form part of water reuse planning. |