Officials from Karon municipality have issued a statement to confirm the source of supposed black wastewater flowing into the sea at Karon Beach. They say the water is actually sediment from the Nong Han Canal, which is being washed away by the recent rain. They say it’s not rotten water but acknowledge the appearance is similar to waste water.
Explanations from Phuket officials over the decades about the sources of these ‘black water’ messes flowing into the Andaman Sea have been proven wrong. The sources have usually been tracked down to untreated sewage from businesses and residences upstream and authorities have done little to crack down on the sources.
The statement comes after local residents urged officials to investigate the source of the black water which could be seen flowing into the sea at Karon. According to a Phuket Express report, residents and tourists were in the water at Karon Beach on Sunday when they noticed black foul-smelling water flowing into the sea.
According to the report, local residents say this is not the first time they’ve seen this in the area. Some people have complained that the issue has been ongoing since it was first noticed on February 24. They believe it’s nearby businesses who are releasing the water illegally without it having been treated.
The report states that foreign visitors have also complained, pointing out that this should not be happening at a popular tourist destination such as Karon Beach.
There has been a long list of complaints from residents in Kamala, Patong and Bang Tao beaches over the years about untreated sewage and foul-smelling ‘black water’ flowing into Phuket’s coastal waters.
SOURCE: The Phuket Express
