Forum on potential groundwater resources

Forum on potential groundwater resources

supawadee wangsri

BANGKOK, 7th September 2019 (NNT) - Water reserves like groundwater are important for schools and communities in remote areas. The Department of Groundwater Resources continually organizes development projects and provides information on the development of groundwater resources that have potential for consumption.

The Groundwater Development Project has long provided clean drinking water to educational institutions and communities in remote areas. The project has provided information about groundwater resources to representatives of educational institutes and schools nationwide. Groundwater comes from three sources: rainfall, dew and hail. When it falls over time, it becomes surface water that gradually seeps into the layers of soil, rock and groundwater sources. When it accumulates so much that the soil becomes saturated, it is ready to be exploited for community use.

In general, groundwater is clean water without any odor, suspensions, organic chemicals or pathogens but as the water seeps through the layers of soil and rock, it may gather minerals or be contaminated with water of poorer quality. Therefore, water quality in each area must be assessed for safety before being utilized, because it may contain harmful contaminants.

In Thailand, groundwater is used nationwide especially outside irrigation areas where water supply systems are not within reach, or in areas with not enough surface water to meet the demand. There are both shallow groundwater wells and much deeper groundwater wells, depending on the area.