15.4.1 Water discharge guidelines and standards

Summary

Srinakharinwirot University (SWU) has water quality standards and guidelines for water discharges to uphold water quality in order to protect ecosystems, wildlife and human health and welfare. The SWU Water Discharge Management Policy, announced by the University on 13 December 2024 and in force throughout 2025, applies to all discharges on University premises, sets out who is responsible for the drainage system, requires the Physical Development Office to collect water samples and send them to internal or external laboratories for testing, and must be reviewed every two years. The University’s manuals and environmental policies also require wastewater to be treated before it is discharged or reused, and prohibit the release of untreated wastewater into public water sources. Treated water is checked against the national effluent standards set by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and the latest results for the Ho Phra pond on the Ongkharak campus are within the national limits for pH, BOD and TKN.

Evidence at a glance

1. SWU Water Discharge Management Policy (13 December 2024)

SWU has a University-wide policy that sets its guidelines and standards for water discharge. The SWU Water Discharge Management Policy (SDG 15.4.1: Water Discharge Guidelines and Standards) was announced on 13 December 2024 (B.E. 2567) and signed by the Acting President of the University, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Cholvit Jearajit. The policy was in force throughout 2025.

• Purpose. The policy sets the guidelines for managing wastewater and water discharge at SWU in accordance with environmental laws and standards, and in line with SDG 15 (Life on Land). Its objectives are to manage the risks and opportunities related to water discharge, to minimise the amount of wastewater discharged, and to make sure that operations comply with effluent discharge permits and environmental legislation.

• Scope. The policy applies to all discharges within the University, including discharges to surface water and the internal drainage systems across all University premises. Its definitions follow ISO 14001:2015.

• Clear responsibilities. The Physical Development Office plans and manages scheduled maintenance of the surface water and effluent drainage systems. Building surveyors and the engineering maintenance team carry out planned maintenance, the maintenance services team carries out reactive maintenance and minor repairs, the maintenance services manager (mechanical) manages external drainage service contracts, and the technical managers network makes sure that each department complies with its trade effluent discharge requirements.

• Managing the drainage system. All surface water and effluent drainage routes are identified and marked on campus drainage maps. Before any construction work, CCTV drainage surveys must be carried out to check the drainage system, and grease traps are installed in kitchens to stop fats, oils and grease from entering the drains.

• Monitoring and reporting. The Physical Development Office collects water samples and sends them for testing by internal or external laboratories. Any non-compliance with water quality standards must be reported immediately to the Vice President for Physical Development.

• Emergency response. Spill kits and absorbent materials are kept in high-risk areas such as laboratories and chemical storage rooms. Any spill or leakage must be reported to the Physical Development Office at once, and the Environmental Emergency Response Plan must be followed.

• Non-conformance, records and review. Corrective measures follow the Corrective and Preventive Action Procedure. Water quality monitoring reports, discharge permits and inspection results must be kept for at least five years, and the policy must be reviewed every two years, or whenever environmental regulations or infrastructure change.

Figure 1. SWU Water Discharge Management Policy, page 1: purpose, objectives and scope.

Figure 2. Page 2: responsibilities for the University’s drainage systems.

Figure 3. Page 3: drainage system management, monitoring and reporting.

Figure 4. Page 4: emergency response, non-conformance, recordkeeping and review; announced on 13 December 2024 and signed by the Acting President.

Source: SWU Water Discharge Management Policy, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Stv1dOi_mDJt0vSbqW_KCurjDeJ4Pjc_/view

2. Water Discharge Rules in University Manuals and Policies

SWU’s guidelines make sure that wastewater from its campuses does not harm water quality, ecosystems, wildlife or human health. The guidelines are set out in the University’s environmental policies and operating manuals:

• Treat before discharge. Wastewater from campus buildings and dormitories must pass through on-site treatment units, such as membrane bioreactor units, or the University’s central treatment system before it is discharged or reused. Buildings with laboratories must meet their own water quality requirements before their wastewater enters the University’s main wastewater system.

• No untreated wastewater to public water sources. Section 23.3 (5) of the University’s Safety, Occupational Health and Environment Manual, issued by the Sustainable Development Division in July 2022, states that wastewater from washing waste containers and waste storage areas must not be released into rivers, ponds, streams, canals, public water sources or other natural water bodies.

• Reuse treated water. Under the SWU Zero Carbon policy, the University supports wastewater treatment and reuse, for example using treated water to irrigate campus plants, which reduces the volume of water discharged.

• Safe handling of chemicals. Section 16 of the manual requires chemical spills and waste to be handled according to each chemical’s Safety Data Sheet, so that hazardous substances do not enter the drainage system.

The same commitments are part of the University’s environmental policies and water management framework published on the SWU SDG website. Under the SWU Zero Carbon and SWU Zero Waste policies and the SWU Green “Water” initiative, the University commits to reducing water use, preventing leakage, and making sure that wastewater generated on campus is treated before it is discharged or reused. Source: https://sdg.swu.ac.th/policies/16

Figure 5. Safety, Occupational Health and Environment Manual, Sustainable Development Division, July 2022.

Figure 6. Section 23.3 (5) of the manual: wastewater must not be released into public or natural water sources.

3. Wastewater Treatment on Campus

The University treats wastewater in its water sources by bioaugmentation, adding beneficial microorganisms to break down pollutants, combined with biofilm and activated sludge treatment. On the Ongkharak campus, water collects in the Ho Phra pond, which serves as the campus’s final water body before water flows out to the public canal. Where possible, treated effluent is reused for non-potable purposes such as landscape irrigation.

4. Water Quality Standards Applied

Treated water discharged from SWU is checked against the national effluent standards in the Notification of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment on Effluent Standards for Certain Types and Sizes of Buildings (7 November 2005). The results are compared with the strictest category (Type A), whose limits are:

5. Monitoring Water Quality before Discharge

SWU monitors the quality of water before it leaves the campus. The water of the Ho Phra pond on the Ongkharak campus was sampled and analysed in Semester 2 of academic year 2025. Under the Water Discharge Management Policy, water samples are collected by the Physical Development Office and tested by internal or external laboratories. The results are compared with the national standard below.

The dissolved oxygen level of 10.7 mg/L shows that the pond can support aquatic life, and the BOD and TKN results are well within the national limits.

Figure 7. Water quality results for the Ho Phra pond, SWU Ongkharak campus, Semester 2, academic year 2025.

6. Supporting Water Quality beyond the Campus

SWU also promotes clean water outside its campuses. On 15 June 2025, the University’s Asok Model project worked with the Krit Chit Asa volunteer group and park staff at Chatuchak Park, Bangkok, to make EM balls, which park staff use in the park’s ponds to treat wastewater, reduce odours, improve water quality and support aquatic life.

Contribution to SDG 15: Life on Land

Through its Water Discharge Management Policy, its manuals and environmental policies, the treatment of wastewater before discharge and the monitoring of water quality against national effluent standards, SWU upholds water quality to protect ecosystems, wildlife and human health and welfare in the canals and water bodies that surround its campuses.