Chonburi Governor briefed on Water Treatment Facility progress
YOU are going to pay for it!
Chonburi Governor Sujarit Prachimnan met with Mayor Pairat Suttithamrongsawat and representatives from the Samprasit Construction Company and the Macro Consultant Company discussing the preparations remaining to support the operation of the 1.8 billion baht water treatment facility.
Governor Sujarit Pachimnan investigates the cause of the delay in the completion of the water treatment facility
Following two time extensions the much needed water treatment facility is now scheduled to be completed and operational in November of this year. The next 3-4 months are considered crucial and the Chonburi Governor received a progress update at the construction site.
The finished water treatment facility is expected to solve most of the environmental issues in Pattaya affecting business and the tourist industry.
The Ministry of Science and Environmental Technology and the Macro Consultants Company suggested that Pattaya city administration must decide how to collect the user costs once the facility becomes operational. The initial suggestion claimed that the water treatment costs would increase by eight million baht per year.
A separate water treatment bill from the office of Regional Water-Works is now under consideration, charging users for water treatment costs at a rate equivalent to 85% of their day to day water usage. This method would collect nearly 50 million baht per year compared to 10 million baht currently collected.
Chonburi Governor Sujarit said no further extensions will be allowed and if the Samprasit Construction Company meets up with any obstacles delaying the November completion date to alert him immediately and methods to resolve the problem will be found. The Governor also announced that if the construction company is unable to complete the project by November he is ready to fine the company 1,700,000 baht each day until it is completed.
The Governor also wanted information circulated throughout the city emphasising the importance of the water treatment facility and stressing the need to clean up the waters in Pattaya Bay - and preparing every resident in the community for the added costs.
Representatives from Macro Consultants and the Samprasit Construction Company reported that work inspectors have confirmed the laying of pipes and the power source are all in place and should be finished this month. The only remaining problem is the PS7 pumping station near the pier in South Pattaya, which has been delayed waiting official approvals from the Pier Authority. Roads, buildings, utilities and other associated works at the water treatment site itself are currently near 90% complete and expected to be finalised within the next 2-3 months and thereafter the operation will be turned over to the city administration.
Doctor Yuwaree Inna, Director of Environmental Controls from the Ministry of Science and Environmental Technology, said that up to 40 million baht per year would be required to support the operation of the water treatment facility and suggested the new method of collecting service costs at the rate of 85% of everyone’s water bill would probably be adequate for continual operation.
The city administration has come up with a new plan for a private company to oversee the operation for the first two years to obtain a clearer understanding of the actual costs of operating the facility and service rates. At the end of the two-year period it may be discovered the costs are even less than Macro Consultants and the Science Ministry anticipated. Of course, on the other hand, it may not!
