Background
Industrial wastewater control in Cambodia is governed through environmental compliance systems that regulate how companies, factories, and enterprises discharge liquid waste. Industrial wastewater control in Cambodia links factory operations to environmental standards for discharging liquid waste into public water sources. The Ministry of Environment’s reporting connects wastewater prevention with the protection of public water sources, aquatic biodiversity, and public health.
Automatic wastewater monitoring is a regulatory tool used to track liquid waste discharge from sites with potential pollution risks. Automatic liquid-waste monitoring systems allow regulators to track discharge volumes and data from sites with pollution potential. The Ministry of Environment stated that owners of sites and industries with potential pollution sources are required to install automatic monitoring equipment and data management systems for liquid waste discharge under Cambodia’s Environment and Natural Resources Code.
The ministry identified several provisions of the Environment and Natural Resources Code, including Articles 178, 287, 288, 829, and 845, as relevant to waste discharge, pollutant release, discharge standards, and obligations for liquid waste and wastewater management. The ministry also stated that water pollution control and the reduction and prevention of pollution in public water areas are addressed in other legal instruments in force in Cambodia.
Key Developments
As of April 2026, the Ministry of Environment reported that 28,609,623 cubic meters of wastewater from companies, factories, and enterprises had been prevented from entering public water sources in Cambodia.
For the first four months of 2026, from January to April, the ministry reported that more than 8.5 million cubic meters of wastewater had been blocked. In April 2026 alone, about 2,141,850 cubic meters of wastewater were prevented from flowing into natural water sources and affecting local livelihoods.
Compliance Implications
The Ministry of Environment stated that companies and factories discharging more than 40 cubic meters of liquid waste had installed automatic monitoring equipment at 59 locations as of April 2026. The ministry also said that additional factories and enterprises had signed agreements and voluntarily joined implementation of the law by installing automatic monitoring equipment at their business locations.
The compliance framework described by the ministry focuses on preventing discharge that does not meet waste discharge standards and on requiring management of liquid waste and wastewater. The ministry did not announce penalties in the published update.
Institutional Role
The Ministry of Environment attributed the reported results to coordination among ministry leaders and officials, relevant ministries and institutions, capital and provincial administrations, local authorities, factory and enterprise owners, companies, journalists, and citizens.
The ministry connected the wastewater control effort to the Royal Government of Cambodia’s policy and strategy, the environmental sector strategy, and guidance from Prime Minister Hun Manet on reducing pollution in public water areas and improving sustainable water quality management.
