VietNamNet Bridge – The southern Dong Nai Province has decided to stop the operations of automatic wastewater monitoring stations that were installed by investors in provincial industrial zones.

An automatic wastewater monitoring station in Dong Nai Province’s industrial zone. The operations of stations that were installed by investors in industrial zones will be halted. — Photo tinmoitruong.vn

According to Vo Niem Tuong, head of the local environment protection department, the investors had spent more than VND23 billion (over US$1 million) in installing 21 stations in 16 industrial zones in the province since 2010.

However, most of the stations did not show accurate data after the wastewater was treated in industrial zones, he said.

Lack of synchronised devices, parameters and routine maintenance were blamed for the inaccurate figures, Tuong said.

In many cases, wastewater in industrial areas was contaminated, but automatic monitoring stations still showed the water quality to be within permissible limits.

To deal with such situations, the province has started using 19 other stations funded by the government in 18 industrial zones to replace old ones.

After a period of operation, the test results showed more accurate data, Tuong said.

The department has also proposed sanctions against some local industrial zones for environment violations.

The province now has 30 industrial zones that discharge about 94,600cu.m of wastewater each day.

Source: VNS