The Ministry of Environment calculates that it prevented more than 10 million cubic metres of untreated wastewater from being discharged into and polluting public water sources during the first seven months of 2025.
The prevention efforts were made possible by the installation of automatic monitoring equipment and data management systems for wastewater discharge, with the cooperation of factory owners.
Ministry spokesperson Khvay Atitya announced on Tuesday, August 12, that as of earlier this month, 91 locations — including factories, enterprises and companies — have installed automatic monitoring equipment and data management systems at their premises, in accordance with Cambodia’s environmental laws.
“To prevent wastewater from leaving factories, we install these devices, and the readings show over 10 million cubic metres prevented. Each month, that’s about one to two million. We estimate that in the past seven months, we’ve prevented over 10 million cubic metres from entering public water sources,” he said.
He believed that the decision by companies and factories with potential pollution sources to comply with the law and install these systems was a meaningful response to the “Clean Cambodia” campaign, under the Circular Strategy on Environment.
The strategy is in line with the policies of the seventh-mandate government led by Prime Minister Hun Manet, and aims to maintain a clean environment, safeguard the health of workers, employees, and citizens at the community level and contribute to protecting environmental health both in Cambodia and on the international stage.
Atitya added that all sites and industries with potential pollution sources are required to install automatic monitoring devices and wastewater discharge data management systems, in accordance with Cambodia’s Environmental and Natural Resources Code — specifically Articles 178, 287, 288 and 829 — which deal with the discharge of waste or pollutants into the environment that do not meet discharge standards. Article 845 covers failure to fulfil obligations in managing wastewater and sewage.
In addition, the monitoring, reduction and prevention of pollution in public water areas are also stipulated in other binding legal provisions.
The environment ministry expressed its gratitude to all companies and factories for cooperating in installing automatic monitoring devices and adhering to environmental technical standards.
