Residents of Mueang Phon rejoice on "Songkran Day" with clean water to play with, while community representatives are satisfied with the Provincial Waterworks Authority resolving the tap water problem of "smell and cloudiness" within two weeks.
On 24 March 2026, Mr. Kittichot Triemwechwutthikrai, Mayor of Mueang Phon Municipality, community leaders, Mr. Natthaphon Kloomrienthong, Khon Kaen MP for Phon District, and Mr. Kamon Sriwong, Deputy Governor (Operations 2), along with officials from the Phon branch of the Provincial Waterworks Authority and representatives of residents in Mueang Phon Municipality, held a meeting to follow up on the resolution of tap water quality issues in Phon district. This followed public complaints about black, cloudy tap water with an unpleasant odor, a long-standing problem. The waterworks received the complaints and promised to fix the issue within two weeks to provide clear, clean tap water. The meeting lasted approximately two hours.
Mr. Roengchai Sriwichai, 61, a resident representative attending the meeting, summarized the results of the water issue resolution, stating that this meeting concluded the public’s feedback on the cloudy and smelly tap water problem. After the Phon branch of the waterworks received the complaints and took corrective actions, residents observed changes within one week, though not yet fully satisfactory. After two weeks, water quality improved significantly, though some areas still had slight odor and a pale yellow tint, believed to be caused by sediment remaining from pipe cleaning.
Currently, the waterworks’ efforts are about 90% complete. Once pipe cleaning finishes, water quality is expected to improve further. Over the past year, residents have consistently experienced cloudy, smelly water around April. Complaints would temporarily resolve the issue, but problems recurred. In 2026, residents again united to raise complaints, prompting the waterworks to take serious action to resolve the issue.
Residents themselves have water quality measuring devices at tap endpoints; some chlorine levels measured are still low in certain areas. However, today there is no chlorine odor, indicating the waterworks has been checking quality carefully. It is believed that the core problem was water quality control. Thanks are extended to the waterworks for their sincere commitment to resolving the issue for the community.
At the meeting, it was noted that the raw water supply from Thung Noi is sufficient and will be increased to cover about 90% of Mueang Phon’s needs. About 10% will come from Bueng Laeng Wai. Therefore, residents will be able to fully enjoy Songkran festivities with adequate water.
Mr. Kittichot Triemwechwutthikrai, Mayor of Mueang Phon, stated that the waterworks has shown genuine commitment and included residents in their communication group. Residents have been invited to meetings to learn about both short- and long-term operational plans. In the short term, it was revealed that the waterworks is using raw water from sources other than Bueng Laeng Wai, such as Thung Noi and other better-quality sources for tap water production.
Currently, tap water users receive water from other higher-quality sources. The waterworks has begun cleaning pipes that have been in use for around 40 years, and some areas may still have residual sediment causing odor or discoloration. While this may appear unclean, water is available. The waterworks has allocated a budget of 4 million baht to address these issues further, using hydrogen technology from South Korea to clean pipes and remove sediment. After cleaning, the already improved water quality is expected to get even better.
For the long term, the waterworks manages the Chi River basin, so water from the Thanangno area will serve as a reserve for Mueang Phon residents. The waterworks also confirms that during the Songkran festival, residents can hold full celebrations with clean and sufficient water, encouraging everyone to enjoy the festivities happily.
Mr. Kamon Sriwong, Deputy Governor (Operations 2), said the Provincial Waterworks Authority Phon branch has been following the agreed plan in short, medium, and long terms. Short-term actions include monitoring water quality at production stations, cleaning pipelines in distribution areas, and tracking water quality results, which have now met standards throughout Mueang Phon. Next, the raw water pumping point will be relocated; the Waterworks Region 6 director has completed plans to move it about 2 kilometers from the current site near the Phon branch office to use raw water from Bueng Laeng Wai reservoir more effectively, which has better raw water quality.
In the medium term, the waterworks will request budget to upgrade production capacity at the Thung Noi water treatment plant from 300 to 500 cubic meters per hour. This requires a considerable budget to replace pipes, pumps, and filters—estimated at 60–70 million baht. The plan will be submitted for the 2027–2028 fiscal year. If supported by local residents and representatives, the funding is expected by 2028, enabling a sustainable and permanent solution for residents in Mueang Phon and Nong Song Hong districts.
The new raw water pumping point at Bueng Laeng Wai has been dredged by the Irrigation Department and has a capacity of 900,000 cubic meters, confirmed by surveys. The irrigation authority permits water use from this site, which offers better quality indicators than the previous point. This is not a new source but a reserve to be used during budget requests for upgrading filtration plants. It will be used for about two years, after which, once funding is secured, water use will revert, leaving this as a reserve for emergencies such as droughts or low Chi River flow.
Mr. Kamon added that this meeting stemmed from resident complaints about cloudy, odorous tap water. The waterworks resolved the issue within two weeks to the satisfaction of residents, who have given positive feedback. The waterworks is ready to seriously address problems in all aspects—water quality, service, and commitments made—which are now 70% complete. The remaining 30% depends on state budget allocation.