‘Not enough water for 2020’, says Phuket water chief

By The Phuket News

 

Phuket Provincial Waterworks Authority (PWA) Chief Graison Mahamad announced the news at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday (Jan 15). Photo PR Dept

 

PHUKET:-- Phuket Provincial Waterworks Authority (PWA) Chief Graison Mahamad has announced a slew of measures to conserve what little water supplies Phuket has in the hope of staving off serious water shortages across the island.

 

“We don’t have enough water to produce in 2020 because the water levels at the three main reservoirs – Bang Wad, Bang Neow Dum and Khlong Kratha reservoirs – are so low,” Mr Graison told a meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday (Jan 15).

 

Mr Graisorn told The Phuket News today (Jan 16) that Bang Wad reservoir in Kathu held 2.832 million cubic metres of water – about 27.2% of the reservoir’s full capacity. “This is enough to last 83 days,” he said.

 

Full Story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/not-enough-water-for-2020-says-phuket-water-chief-74423.php

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2020-01-16

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Sorry mate, PM is far too busy getting purchases of subs through to worry about you

World class resort, no water

No worries, the newest tourism initiatives, has this sorted.

 

Note to self:

 

When moving south to re-retire avoid Phuket.

44 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

This is enough to last 83 days,” he said.

Well, it is the south and should see some rain by May but I think it's a much longer stretch than 83 days. Wot to do?

 

Drag an iceberg.

It goes on. 

What a surprise ..... NOT

They'll have to close the place I guess. Don't see how water restrictions could be imposed on Tourists. I wish luck to those who will request refunds.

Sage advice from Prayut:

flush your toilet only once a day

10 hours ago, Momofarang said:

They'll have to close the place I guess. Don't see how water restrictions could be imposed on Tourists. I wish luck to those who will request refunds.

The water shortages are in the PWA dams from where the piped water supply is sourced. They impose restrictions by turning supply off, it's not up to individual tourists to save water.

There is still a lot of available water in private lakes and deep bores and wells. It will be a boom time for some, including owners of the hundreds of water tankers which will be very busy in the coming months. Hotels will have to buy from this source and no doubt pass on costs to guests.

Large parts of the Island are not connected to the official supply and many (like me) get their water from private wells.

This unfettered  access to the water table by so many no doubt adds to the dam supply problem.

Simple, cancel the submarine orders and invest in desalination plants

They knew about the water situation for long time,

now it's gotten so serious they finally have had to tell 

the truth,will Songkran be called off,or just throw sand.

regards Worgeordie

You are an ISLAND! You are surrounded by an OCEAN! Has anyone even remotely considered a SOLAR POWERED DESALINATION PLANT? 

Sorry.  Rhetorical question

Songkran.....???

1 hour ago, klauskunkel said:

Sage advice from Prayut:

flush your toilet only once a day

“You can drown the brown, but let the yellow mellow.”

“Infrastructure? What’s that? We’ll just build some more condos and hotels.”

13 hours ago, Number 6 said:

Note to self:

 

When moving south to re-retire avoid Phuket.

High 2.5 PM levels? solution: stay indoors and wear a mask.

 

No running water? solution: don't shower or brush your teeth.

 

There's always a solution!

 

 

14 hours ago, CanuckThai said:

No worries, the newest tourism initiatives, has this sorted.

I can hear the cancellations already.... no water to pray or bathe in, even the Indians have standards !

2 hours ago, Just1Voice said:

You are an ISLAND! You are surrounded by an OCEAN! Has anyone even remotely considered a SOLAR POWERED DESALINATION PLANT? 

Sorry.  Rhetorical question

Yes, we bid for the Phuket Water supply back in 1999, carried out a study and proposed a reservoir up in the hills, but the Governor told me "Not over my dead body". The problem in the past in places like Pattaya and Phuket has been that they turn the water off during water shortgaes and then sell expensive tankers of water to the hotels.  

2 minutes ago, Estrada said:

Yes, we bid for the Phuket Water supply back in 1999, carried out a study and proposed a reservoir up in the hills, but the Governor told me "Not over my dead body". The problem in the past in places like Pattaya and Phuket has been that they turn the water off during water shortgaes and then sell expensive tankers of water to the hotels.  

And the quality of that water is about as bad as it gets. Ten years ago we used to buy in tank loads for our house in Patong, the water was brown and full of silt and very expensive. Later we saw the same truck filling up from a pond at the side of the airport road, a disused tin mine.

They should consider reverse osmosis freshwater plants on Phuket, that kind of production might even work with solar power,

4 hours ago, Just1Voice said:

You are an ISLAND! You are surrounded by an OCEAN! Has anyone even remotely considered a SOLAR POWERED DESALINATION PLANT? 

Sorry.  Rhetorical question

There was a desal plant built between Patong and Karon.  Who knows the state of it now as I'm sure it was never maintained.

 

https://thethaiger.com/news/phuket/Desalination-plant-finally-comes-onstream

7 minutes ago, steelepulse said:

There was a desal plant built between Patong and Karon.  Who knows the state of it now as I'm sure it was never maintained.

 

https://thethaiger.com/news/phuket/Desalination-plant-finally-comes-onstream

 

First off they needed to install a bigger capacity electric supply. Then there were problems with the salt water collection pipeline. No idea if it's working and I pass the plant most days. Not really large scale.

When I read that "all of a sudden" it's a major problem, something stinks and its not rotting vegetative material at the bottom of reservoirs. 

German tourists will be fine with no water.

17 hours ago, CanuckThai said:

No worries, the newest tourism initiatives, has this sorted.

 

 

Seriously though, many water technology companies have the ability to roll in, with RO desal "trains" in sea containers.  Easy to ink a temporary contract to supply as much potable or drinking water as required to supplement, until someone pulls the trigger on a permanent sustainable solution.  Not cheap, but cheaper than losing the majority of the tourism golden egg...

And the bad news is that by the end of this year they’ll be praising themselves for managing to survive 2020 without having to shut down the tourist industry so no further action will be taken to avoid the same situation next year, and the year after that etc., etc.

I'm sure there will be enough for the surrounding golf courses ...

53 minutes ago, LivinginKata said:

 

First off they needed to install a bigger capacity electric supply. Then there were problems with the salt water collection pipeline. No idea if it's working and I pass the plant most days. Not really large scale.

That collection pipe is now buried under Centara grand.