The Provincial Waterworks Authority (PWA) is a Thai state enterprise under the Ministry of Interior. The PWA is responsible for the production and distribution of potable water that meets WHO standards to 74 provinces throughout Thailand—all except Bangkok, Samut Prakan, and Nonthaburi)—which are served by the Metropolitan Waterworks Authority.[1]
History
The Provincial Waterworks Authority was established on 28 February 1979, as a state enterprise under the jurisdiction of the Interior Ministry. Prior to the creation of the PWA, water supply services in the provincial areas had been assigned to two government agencies—the Department of Public Works (DOPW) was in charge of the water supply services in municipal areas outside the Bangkok metropolitan area, while the Department of Health (DOH) took care of rural areas. When the performance of these two agencies was found wanting, the government shifted water supply affairs, along with officials and employees, transferred from DOPW's provincial waterworks division and DOH's rural waterworks division, to the newly created Provincial Waterworks Authority.[1] The governor of the PWA is Mr Seree Supratid.[2]