CHON BURI : Aje Thai Co, the manufacturer and distributor of Big Cola in Thailand, has pledged to improve its wastewater treatment capability this month following accusations of illegal wastewater disposal.
Roberto Inga, Aje's quality integral manager, said the factory is in the process of improving its wastewater treatment capacity to 650 cubic metres a day from 250 cu m, which will be completed by the end of this month.
Aje releases 300 cu m of wastewater a day, of which 150 cu m is sent to the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT) treatment plant in Amata Nakorn and the rest to Siam Environment for treatment.
The issue was heightened as local media reported a group of villagers in Chachoengsao province surrounded a truck loading chemicals that were dumped in the area, which the driver admitted transporting from Aje.
The IEAT yesterday sent a team of engineers to inspect the factory to determine the deadline of the improvement of the system.
If the factory fails to meet the deadline or asks to extend it without good reason, then the IEAT may suspend Aje's operations, said Ronachai Khumpibal, the office's director at Amata Nakorn Industrial Estate.
"During last year's floods, Aje was able to produce a large amount of water, while others including Pepsi and Singha were inundated. If we had tightened control over Aje, then there would have been a lack of water," he said.
Other beverage companies in Amata Nakorn include Oishi and Sermsuk.
Mr Inga said the company has 300 cu m of rejected water per month, which is still left at the factory.
It is considering hiring another company to dispose of the waste separately, as biochemical oxygen demand is much lower than wastewater from production.
Chuchat Saitin, the managing director of Amata Water Co, said he is concerned that factories may release treated water in the daytime but untreated water at night.
"Amata needs to take greater control of its factories, as we cannot be monitoring everything 24 hours a day," he said.
IEAT governor Verapong Chaiperm said the IEAT will soon issue measures for vehicles transporting waste to attach GPS systems to track the waste to the destination.
In a related development, three representatives from Chon Buri province submitted a letter to the IEAT opposing the expansion of the second phase of Amata Nakorn, as the current development of the estate is affecting agricultural areas of nearby communities.
Tassawi Suwunnawat, an independent geographical researcher, said Amata should make use of 80% of its leftover land to set up a waste disposal system inside the estate.
"Amata should implement a zero-discharge system in which waste is treated inside the estate and not transported out of the area, which poses a danger to the public and is considered unacceptable in the eyes of the international community," said Mrs Tassawi.
Sarayoot Sonraksa, a resident living near the industrial estate, said it is not fair for factories to dispose of waste wherever they want.
"Industrial estates are set up to look after a group of factories. Why would the estates be set up otherwise?" he said.
