Bangkok's brackish drinking water

[unblocktheplanet]

Our three-stage household water filter produces great-tasting water but does not filter dissolved salt from our drinking water. Buying bottled water is costly, logistically inconvenient and shockingly wasteful.

 

Is it to much to expect clean, palatable drinking water in Bangkok? Surely there is an engineering solution to this problem!

 

The only filter which is effective for the salt component is reverse osmosis. Worryingly, the daily rag tells us the water is safe to drink except in cases of chronic diseases, including those kidney- and thyroid-related.

 

Furthermore, an RO system is said to leach important minerals from the body and leach those minerals from food when used for cooking. There is quite a lot of controversy over whether this is true or not & some manufacterers claim to incorporate one stage to add back minerals. I discovered a whole acid vs alkaline water health debate.

 

And the RO process creates a certain amount of waste water through its filtration, exceeding the useable filtered drinking water. 

 

In other words, seems like the public can’t win!

 

Will the BMA deliver bottled water to our door at minimal cost? (Fat chance!)

 

Anybody else doing some thinking about this? Some folks out in the countryside may be facing similar problems.

[Moonlover]

There was a warning issued recently about brackish water in Bangkok.

 

A notice released by the Department of Public Health said the brackish-tasting water is generally safe to drink, but it should not be consumed by infants, young children, the elderly, and pets. 

People with liver problems, heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure are also advised to refrain from drinking the tap water.

 

https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/crimecourtscalamity/2021/02/03/bangkok-unhealthy-salty-tap-water-to-persist-through-feb/

 

 

[unblocktheplanet]

The big takeaway from the Khaosod article is the MWA's Thai Water Quality map showing how salty the water is where one lives: https://twqonline.mwa.co.th/map.php?type=sal.

 

The WHO & US EPA standard is no more than 0.2 grams (200 mg) of sodium per liter. Every area of the capital is way over that standard, ranging up as high (so far) as 0.96gpl.

 

Humans, let along those humans with heart disease, should not consume more than 2,000 milligrams per day. Now we're consuming 960 mg per liter just from our drinking water!

 

Does anybody else find this as scary as I do? Blood pressure issues & much else.

[FritsSikkink]

33 minutes ago, unblocktheplanet said:

. Now we're consuming 960 mg per liter just from our drinking water!

 

Does anybody else find this as scary as I do? Blood pressure issues & much else.

No, as I can afford bottled water, even pay a bit more to a local vendor than going to the supermarket.

[unblocktheplanet]

31 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

No, as I can afford bottled water, even pay a bit more to a local vendor than going to the supermarket.

The point is not not you can afford it, it's caring about the many who can't.

[uncleP]

we use a 5 stage Mazuma water filter. They install and contact us yearly to service and change the filters. good filter and service.

[KhunBENQ]

24 minutes ago, unblocktheplanet said:

The point is not not you can afford it, it's caring about the many who can't.

If you have a car: bottled drinking water (Singha), 24 glas bottles in a crate for 60 Baht.

Exchange full for empty, no waste.

For cooking there are the 5 gallon canisters for 20(?) Baht.

(not sure about exact price)

Also return/exchange when buying new.

Some shops will even deliver with a side cart on bigger orders.

Sure not too practical for Bangkok city condo resident.

So excuse if that is unreal.

 

A question of affordabilty?

12 liters for the price of a single bottle of beer from 7/11?

 

In nine years I never drank a single glas from the tap.

 

It's tap water to wash dishes, water the garden, wash feet and more delicate parts.

But drinking? No way.

 

[FritsSikkink]

36 minutes ago, unblocktheplanet said:

The point is not not you can afford it, it's caring about the many who can't.

Don't think there are many who can't afford it, you can buy 10 liter containers for 10 thb, they deliver too.

So worried about the planet, why did you fly to this country?

[JTXR]

As a follow-up to this topic, does anyone know where in Bangkok one can buy a good reverse osmosis water filter.  HomePro and some other shops I've checked just have standard ordinary filters that don't remove salt (and sales clerks don't seem to understand the issue well enough to help...)

[unblocktheplanet]

See Mazuma 5-stage RO filter mentioned above. Not too pricey and only RO I was able to find.

 

Okay, now to the snark above, I think the drop in the water table from the Chao Phraya allowing seawater incursion must be due to climate change.

 

Tap water here was full of heavy metals 30 years ago. Today few drink tap water.

 

But don't you think it's the responsibility of the GOVT to provide SAFE drinking water for the citizens living in its CAPITAL??? Sheesh...

[unblocktheplanet]

4 hours ago, uncleP said:

we use a 5 stage Mazuma water filter. They install and contact us yearly to service and change the filters. good filter and service.

Please tell me more, uncleP. I think this is the way I want to go. I'm somewhat worried about leaching the minerals with RO but I'm more worried about heart problems with high sodium. Please let me know your dealer. I think this is acceptable in open forum. TIA!

[JimmyJ]

I'm in an apt. building in Vietnam.

 

The owner with wife and 3 kids including a baby live in it.

 

For 2 years they've been drinking water from the faucet after going thru a Karofi filter system with no issues.

 

It's filtered when entering the building, pumped to the roof

where it's filtered again before going down into the apts.

 

Under our sinks is a Karofi unit with 3 canisters and a larger container.

 

On another (Viet) forum someone with wife and kids said they're using Karofi for about 3 months, no issues.

 

I've still been drinking bottled while researching this system.

 

I'm probably going to switch to only using Karofi soon.

 

 

[ChakaKhan]

At my apt in Cm they had cases of water...big bottles in a case for 40 bt from the water company......Ive also used the 5 gallon big bottles--was 12 bt

 

I did use the street machines back in the day..but stopped as I wasnt sure if they ever changed the filters..I used it for boiling for tea....

 

Anyhoo the case with big bottles for 40 worked out for me..used it for drinking with no issues....and recycled bottles to avoid plastic waste..

[Disparate Dan]

13 hours ago, unblocktheplanet said:

But don't you think it's the responsibility of the GOVT to provide SAFE drinking water for the citizens living in its CAPITAL??? Sheesh...

You're not familiar with Thailand, I assume?

[uncleP]

14 hours ago, unblocktheplanet said:

Please tell me more, uncleP. I think this is the way I want to go. I'm somewhat worried about leaching the minerals with RO but I'm more worried about heart problems with high sodium. Please let me know your dealer. I think this is acceptable in open forum. TIA!

www.mazuma.co.th

[uncleP]

15 hours ago, unblocktheplanet said:

Please tell me more, uncleP. I think this is the way I want to go. I'm somewhat worried about leaching the minerals with RO but I'm more worried about heart problems with high sodium. Please let me know your dealer. I think this is acceptable in open forum. TIA!

Mazuma Thailand

you can call them and speak English, firstly change the site language to English and then click on the water filters picture to see information. 

[unblocktheplanet]

37 minutes ago, uncleP said:

Mazuma Thailand

you can call them and speak English, firstly change the site language to English and then click on the water filters picture to see information. 

Thank you. I was hoping you might be in touch with a local distributor & installer who you found reliable.

[millymoopoo]

40 years ago, when living in Hidden valley Broome (Australia) the only water was bore water, it was a shallow bore and the valley was only 300m from the beach, the water was definitely brackish, you could see the white staining on the taps and sprinklers in the garden, obviously not salty enough to retard the garden, but brackish.

Showering didn't feel as god as it should because the soap didn't lather properly.

On the side of the house was a large tall box, we were told it was a water filter, and yes, certainly the water in the kitchen was fine, good drinking, no salty taste.

Strangely the filter required a large bag of pool salt, to be changed occasionally.

It was the only time I've seen such a device and I have no idea how it worked, but work it did.

Think it may have been Australian made as there are many outback stations that only have bore water, often salty, and sometimes hot

Not that this is very much help, unless the filter device can be identified and sourced in Thailand.

Perhaps Mr Google may help.

There are also sola water purifiers that remove salt as well as other rubbish, these look a little like a sola hot water panel but smaller and work differently, the panel is angled to face the sun but only slightly down from horizontal, the 'bad' water is slowly channelled down small lateral corrugations of black plastic to exit at the bottom. A panel of glass is placed ontop, about 30mm above the lateral channels, the sun heats the water in the channels which condensates on the underside of the glass, the condensate (pure water) accumulates and then moves down to the lower end of the glass from were it's collected.

No shortage of sun/heat in Bangkok for that to work.

Again Mr Google may help.

[Elkski]

It is sad people have become accustomed to drinking bottled water.    Come but a 10 million baht condo, get elite visa, but then you need to buy water to drink and cook with.   I'm sure people looked at the guy in the sales meeting who came up with bottled water idea as crazy.    I'm glad I drink award winning water right off the mountain aquifer from the melted snow.  I have never in my life  bought much bottled water.  Only in Thailand and here  for convenience on some outings when I'm to lazy to fill my camel bag or bottles,  and emergencies. 

[The Theory]

We have 3 stage large water filters for whole house (to tank). Then there is a 3 stage smaller filters in the kitchen (no Osmisis) for cooking and perhaps sometimes drinking when water bottle is not available at home. But I usually drink singha water. 

[uncleP]

9 hours ago, unblocktheplanet said:

Thank you. I was hoping you might be in touch with a local distributor & installer who you found reliable.

mazuma themselves do everything. I'm  in Bangkok so its easy elsewhere?. Talking to them is Free!

[Iron Tongue]

Install a RO water filter and take vitamin + mineral supplements.

 

You think Bangkok water provides all your mineral nutritional needs?

[Mike Rodik]

all or most sold drinking water is RO

[JTXR]

Yesterday, at mid-day, stopped at a red light, I watched a couple of guys from one of my local 7-11s lugging bottled water under the very hot sun to some businesses a couple hundred meters away, each carrying two packs of six 1.5-liter bottles. 

 

In the evening, thinking of ordering water from TOPS,  I saw that their "delivery surcharge" for water was more than 50% of the cost of water.

As Bangkok continues to sink, salt water intrusion will only become more common.  Government needs to get serious about very large scale desalination schemes to supply safe water to the population.

[unblocktheplanet]

6 hours ago, Iron Tongue said:

Install a RO water filter and take vitamin + mineral supplements.

 

You think Bangkok water provides all your mineral nutritional needs?

Likely not, as mineral components change with geologic factors. Be interesting to see a lab analysis of BK water.

 

I've gotten email from Mazuma & will call t'mow. I see the Purelife AUTO comes with a 12 litre "RO permeate tank" apparently to generate 60psi. Is an ordinary household demand pump not sufficient?

 

Be grateful for replies from anybody who has used a Mazuma or other RO system.

 

A tank sure adds to the space necessary. What we're after is a dedicated filter just for drinking water. Life's too short to be lugging water around. TIA!

[unblocktheplanet]

The salty dogs among us will know that the oceans rise & fall at predictable times. Until we spring for an RO filtre, we're watching the tide tables for BK. I'd give about six hours past high tide & perhaps 2 hours after the next (to accommodate the MWA pumping systems) before eating rice & drawing water:

https://www.tide-forecast.com/locations/Bangkok-Thailand/tides/latest