Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) plans to implement a new scheme to charge wastewater treatment fees for commercial buildings within the city. The initiative, expected to take effect by the end of this year, aims to address the financial burden currently placed on the BMA, which incurs an annual cost of around 600 million baht to operate its eight wastewater treatment facilities. Surprisingly, neither households nor commercial establishments have been subject to charges for this vital service until now.
Governor Chadchart Sittipunt of Bangkok recently disclosed these details, shedding light on the proposed fee structure. According to the plan, Category 2 commercial buildings will be required to pay 4 baht for every cubic meter of wastewater discharged into the city’s drainage system. Meanwhile, Category 3 establishments, including hotels and large commercial structures, will face a higher fee of 8 baht per cubic meter. These charges have been calculated based on the assumption that approximately 80% of the tap water used by commercial buildings ultimately becomes wastewater flowing into the drainage system.
Governor Chadchart emphasized that commercial buildings equipped with their own wastewater treatment facilities will no longer be obliged to operate these systems. Instead, it will be more economically viable for them to switch to utilizing the BMA’s wastewater treatment facilities. This shift is expected to yield cost savings for businesses while encouraging them to contribute to the overall sustainability of Bangkok’s wastewater management.
By implementing fees based on the volume of wastewater discharged, the BMA hopes to create a system that incentivizes commercial buildings to utilize the city’s existing treatment infrastructure. This move is part of a broader strategy to enhance the overall effectiveness and environmental impact of Bangkok’s wastewater management system.
