Prachin Buri residents seek fresh tests on foul-smelling black water

Residents in Prachin Buri are calling for further water testing after foul-smelling black water flowed through the Phet Oem floodgate into the Prachin Buri River, challenging officials’ explanation that decaying grass caused the problem.

The dispute centres on water drained from rice fields in villages 3 and 8 in Kabin Buri district. Residents suspect chemical contamination, but authorities have not confirmed that chemicals are present, according to Khaosod English’s report on 20 October.

Floodgate closed after discoloured discharge

The Royal Irrigation Department released the dark water from the fields through the floodgate, turning parts of the river cocoa-brown to black. Irrigation officials subsequently closed the gate to stop more of the discoloured water entering the river.

Acting Prachin Buri Governor Chanathip Khokmanee led officials in collecting water samples to check for possible contamination. The cause of the discolouration and smell has yet to be established.

During a follow-up visit on the morning of 20 October, reporters found black water still standing in a long drainage channel between rice fields near the floodgate.

Residents challenge the explanation

Local resident Somdet Topattanakul said water levels had risen rapidly during flooding. The floodgate was opened to drain the area after levels began to recede, he said, and the black water then flowed through, producing a smell he described as unbearable.

Residents disputed the explanation that the odour came from rotting grass. They said the appearance and smell differed from their previous experience of decaying vegetation. Their observations underpin their request for more testing, but do not establish what caused the water to turn black.

Sampling procedure questioned

Somdet also challenged the timing of the sampling, claiming officials had closed the floodgate before collecting water. He suggested sediment had settled by then, leaving clearer water near the surface, and called for another round of samples to be taken while the gate was open.

That account raises a question about whether the samples reflected the water residents had seen flowing through the gate. However, his explanation about sediment settling remains a resident’s assessment, not a confirmed finding about the sampling process.

For residents living near the drainage channel and river, the immediate unresolved issue is the source of the smell and discolouration. Water-test results are needed to determine whether chemical contamination is involved; neither the water’s dark appearance nor the competing explanations settles that question.