December 3, 2016

S44 urged for wastewater fee

MWA would collect from household bills

If City Hall gets its Section 44 powers, every monthly water bill in Metropolitan Bangkok will include an extra 'wastewater treatment fee'. (Logo via mwa.co.th)

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City Hall is mulling asking the prime minister to use Section 44 under the interim charter to arrange the collection of wastewater treatment fees from every city household.

Suthimon Kasetsomboon, deputy director of the Department of Drainage and Sewage, said the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is working with the government to seek Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's help to use his special powers under Section 44 of the interim charter to expedite the waste water fee collection process.

The idea of using Section 44 had earlier been floated at the Ministry of Interior, said Ms Suthimon after a meeting Thursday at City Hall, which was led by Bangkok City Council chairman Kriangsak Lohachala.

The meeting drew a team of experts on waste and pollution management led by Prof Thongchai Panswad and authorities, who agreed on the "polluter pays principle", under which every resident and business operator has to be responsible for the cost. Initially, every household consuming less than 10 cubic metres of water per month were to be charged a flat rate of 30 baht each.

The council members and environmental engineering academics had agreed with the proposal of asking the premier to exercise the special power, said Ms Suthimon.

The prime minister's order will give authority to the Metropolitan Waterworks Authority (MWA) to collect the waste water fee as part of the monthly water bill. This will allow the BMA to collect the fee from every household.

The meeting came after environmental advocates had requested the BMA make a decision on how households and business operators could be charged.

The BMA issued an ordinance on wastewater treatment fee collection, which took effect 2004, although the regulation was never enforced.

The money will be spent on wastewater management at facilities operated by the BMA.

It also hopes the fee will help reduce the amount of wastewater released by industries and households.

The BMA had sought assistance from the MWA to act on behalf of it to collect the fee, which could be billed as part of the water fee, said Ms Suthimon.

But the MWA refused to do so, saying it had no such power under the MWA's Act.

Under the 2004 ordinance, the BMA is allowed to collect fees in some specific areas where water treatment plants are located, Ms Suthimon said.

Now, there are wastewater treatment plants in eight locations -- Nong Khaem, Rattanakosin, Si Phraya, Chatuchak, Din Daeng, Chong Nonsi, Thung Khru -- operated by the BMA, covering only 21 out of 50 districts.

Assoc Prof Khemrat Osapapan, head of Chulalongkorn University's Environmental Engineering Department, said Section 44 will speed up the fee collection process and help the state tap every city household, not only those in designated zones near the plants.

Prof Thongchai urged the BMA to educate its residents on why they should be charged and what they will gain from the fee.

The BMA will hold a meeting with academics and environmental advocate next January to hear their suggestions on fee collection.

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