Environment ministry officials inspect a polluted water way in Kampong Speu province. Environment ministry
Another company has been identified by the Ministry of Environment as discharging contaminated wastewater into a public waterway, bringing the total to 29 since 2024.
Zhongbao (Cambodia) Food Science & Technology Co., Ltd, a mango processing factory located in Kampong Speu province’s Veal Thom village of Yay Mao Pich Nil commune, in Phnom Sruoch district, was determined to have released polluted wastewater into the O’Chaut stream, contaminating up to approximately 7 kilometres downstream from the factory, to the O’Koun Troum reservoir.
The pollution was detected on May 7, following a tip-off by local residents.
“The company has been discharging wastewater for about two years now, affecting daily life — causing skin irritation, killing fish and rendering the water unusable for irrigation. Villagers have had to dig their own ponds or buy water from elsewhere,” local authorities and residents living downstream from the factory confirmed.
The ministry revealed that preliminary water quality analysis at the site showed extremely low pH and DO (dissolved oxygen) levels, failing to meet the standard thresholds for wastewater discharge or biodiversity conservation. The team collected water samples from four locations for further analysis and legal procedures.
The pollution was caused by Zhongbao (Cambodia) Food Science & Technology Co., a mango processing company in Phnom Sruoch district. Environment ministry
The company admitted to violating the law by polluting the natural stream and pledged to improve its wastewater treatment technology.
Legal measures have been applied. The factory was ordered to immediately stop discharging wastewater from its production line, as per Article 290 of the Law on Environmental Protection and Natural Resource Management. If violations continue, all licenses issued by the environment ministry will be revoked.
In addition, the company will face administrative penalties under Articles 159, 160, 287, and 829 of the environmental law, and must compensate for environmental and public health damages, based on calculations from the ministry’s expert team, in line with Article 162.
The company is required to restore the environment, clean the O’Chaut stream and prevent further pollution under Article 724. It must also ensure its wastewater treatment meets technical standards, install automated monitoring equipment and meet discharge thresholds per Article 287.
Furthermore, the company must build a sludge storage facility, collaborate with a licensed company to transport sludge from the factory site, and partner with another licensed operator to transport organic mango waste. The Kampong Speu provincial environment department has been tasked with monitoring these operations.
It has also been instructed to submit biannual environmental monitoring reports, apply for wastewater discharge permits from the ministry and make regular payments into the Environmental and Social Fund as well as the Pollution Compensation Fund.
Since 2024, the ministry has identified 28 other factories and companies which were discharging polluted wastewater into public water sources.
They include nine sites in Preah Sihanouk province, five in Phnom Penh, three each in Kandal, Kampong Speu, Battambang and Tbong Khmum, and one each in Pailin and Kampot.
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Hun Manet ordered the shutdown of any factory or enterprise found polluting public water sources — without exception.
Environment minister Eang Sophalleth reported in March that the operations of more than 100 factories in Cambodia have the potential to discharge toxic substances.
