The Ministry of Environment has reported that in the first half of the year, it identified almost 30 factories that were illegally discharging untreated wastewater into public water sources.
It noted that at least 1,366,560 cubic metres of liquid waste were illegally discharged. The illegal dumping has damaged the environment and impacted local communities.
The discoveries were made during environmental inspections by the ministry’s General Directorate of Environmental Protection.
Inspectors found that these companies and factories were releasing, on average, 227,760 cubic metres of liquid waste per month, or approximately 11,388 cubic metres per day. The ministry issued orders for corrective action, penalties and official warnings.
Most of the offending factories were located in Kampong Speu province, with others in Preah Sihanouk, Tbong Khmum, Kandal, Battambang, Kampot and Phnom Penh also identified.
As the ministry continues to modernise monitoring systems and ramp up enforcement against pollution, it took legal action against the companies for their actions. Of them, nine companies complied with the ministry’s regulations and participated in efforts to reduce public water pollution.
According to ministry spokesperson Khvay Atitya, to strengthen monitoring and prevent future pollution, 50 companies and factories operating in Cambodia have signed agreements to install automatic monitoring devices. These systems help detect and prevent leaks or the illegal discharge of toxic liquid waste into public water sources and natural ecosystems.
This effort aligns with the Environmental Code and various related legal instruments issued previously. To date, 35 companies and factories — mainly in Kandal province and Phnom Penh — have installed these systems.
