Water rationing starts 1st July

[IvorBiggun2]

Are carwash businesses to be closed?

[jak2002003]

On 6/18/2023 at 4:24 AM, kwilco said:

There is now a mains water pipeline supplying Samui from the mainland It was completed in 2022. It was expected to help mitigate the problem of freshwater scarcity in Koh Samui, which has been a major issue for years. There have always been water shortages on Samui – an island that had a tiny population until the tourists started arriving in numbers in the 1980s/90s by 2019 rising to around 2.7 million per annum is bound to have problems.

The reservoir for the pipeline is located in Surat Thani Province It is hoped it will supply about 70% of the water to Koh Samui. But this year El Niño promises drought throughout Thailand and so even the new sources of water for the island will have to be restricted.

Many people on Samui get their water by boring down into the sandy water table. Unfortunately that is becoming less accessible and some of the water table has been polluted by the massive garbage back up at the improperly prepared tip in near the border of Maret and Namaeung.

The tankers around the island usually fill from reservoirs. The reservoirs on the isand need constant dredging dur=e to the silt from run-off from the hills.

The other tankers you see are the ones that empty sceptic tanks and other waste systems – the big question is where they dispose of their toxic cargos…

A lesson is how uncontrolled tourism can wreck the environment. 

[kwilco]

5 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

When I dug my well, I had the water tested.

It was potable but high in iron. (That is why there is usually a brown residue building up in the water tanks.)

Now, the water quality is much worse. We have recently filled up a swimming pool.

.

One of the 4 soils types in Samui is  Lateritic Soil. Much of Samui's interior comprises of this soil, which rich in iron. You can recognise it because it tends to be reddish-brown.  You'll notice that most of the soil inland and in the hills is this type..

[kwilco]

1 hour ago, jak2002003 said:

A lesson is how uncontrolled tourism can wreck the environment. 

"uncontrolled tourism" is and has been a problem in Thailand for the last 40 years.

The problem is lack of government planning and control resulting in untrammelled development. One aspect of this is developers, given a free hand, don't bother with making sure their is sufficient infrastructure installed either before or after the development. Utililities , water electric, etc etc are left to others to install post building, the result is on islands like Samui total chaos. and patchup projects that are little more than "band-aids"

 

[ExpatOilWorker]

2 hours ago, kwilco said:

One of the 4 soils types in Samui is  Lateritic Soil. Much of Samui's interior comprises of this soil, which rich in iron. You can recognise it because it tends to be reddish-brown.  You'll notice that most of the soil inland and in the hills is this type..

 

[kwilco]

8 minutes ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

 

This is geological mp of Samui,  as you'd expect, granite in the middle with the run-off silt deposits around it and a couple of shale deposits. 

I'm wondering if you have a comment to make about it?

[ExpatOilWorker]

In this 2 weeks forecast,  it will rain everywhere,  except Samui and the other 2 islands.

 

[kwilco]

10 hours ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

In this 2 weeks forecast,  it will rain everywhere,  except Samui and the other 2 islands.

 

Can you provide a link to this to show how you come to that conclusion?

 

[huberthammer]

On 6/21/2023 at 11:55 PM, kwilco said:

So the main sources of water are the pip=line from the mainland.

some reservoir around the island and boreholes into the aquifer.

There are a couple of desalination plants - but these are problematic including: high energy consumption, Desalination requires a lot of energy to remove salt from seawater, the power required puts a strain on the island's electrical grid.

It also produces concentrated bring which has an environmental impact. The brine produced can be harmful to marine life if it is not disposed of properly.

Cost of desalination is a relatively expensive way to produce water. This can make it difficult for the island to afford the necessary infrastructure. and dispose of the brine in a safe way.

Do you think in the future desalination could be a solution if produced with solar power or is the disposal of the brine just too difficult/expensive?

[ExpatOilWorker]

2 hours ago, kwilco said:

Can you provide a link to this to show how you come to that conclusion?

 

Just download the Ventusky app.

[ExpatOilWorker]

2 hours ago, huberthammer said:

Do you think in the future desalination could be a solution if produced with solar power or is the disposal of the brine just too difficult/expensive?

Storage is way cheaper. With a surface area of 228 km2, 2 m rainfall and a population of 70,000, Samui is on average receiving 18 m3/day/person.

Plenty for everyone, if you can just store it from the rainy season to the dry season.

[kwilco]

5 hours ago, huberthammer said:

Do you think in the future desalination could be a solution if produced with solar power or is the disposal of the brine just too difficult/expensive?

I don't have any information about that on Samui.

But in general desalination is not cost effective and the disposal of brine i

s usually the killer. 

I doubt if solar panels would even be a possible solution.

You also need to find suitable sites.

I think allowing small private plants would not be effectively monitored or regulated.

 

[kwilco]

3 hours ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

Storage is way cheaper. With a surface area of 228 km2, 2 m rainfall and a population of 70,000, Samui is on average receiving 18 m3/day/person.

Plenty for everyone, if you can just store it from the rainy season to the dry season.

Where do you propose storage?

[khunPer]

10 hours ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

Storage is way cheaper. With a surface area of 228 km2, 2 m rainfall and a population of 70,000, Samui is on average receiving 18 m3/day/person.

Plenty for everyone, if you can just store it from the rainy season to the dry season.

70,000 are the registered number of people, not the actual amount of folks on the island. During the the Covid-vaccinations the authorities counted 125.000 persons as inhabitants, including non-registered inhabitants, workers and remaining tourists. You should count with the double number, i.e. at least 140,000 individuals on the island. So rather around 9 cubic meter per day per person.

 

However, far from all downpour can be stored. And where shall it be stored for the dry season?

 

Daily use of water per person is between 100 L and 200 L, not including filling a bathtub or spa with freshwater, and depending of how many times per day you shower. Many will shower three times per day, especially during the hot season. If counted with average 150 L per person per day it's 55 cubic meter per year. On top comes cleaning, including car wash and laundry; topping up in various pools due to evaporation; watering plants and garden; drinking water and ice production; etc. etc.

 

With just 200 L in average use per person per day, the daily need of fresh water will be up around 30,000 cubic meters; probably more.

 

So even when you calculate with Samui's total area and around 1,25 million cubic meter downpour in average per day, it's only a fraction of that, which can be used for freshwater. If you have a dry season of just 100 days, you'll need storage for around 3 million cubic meters of fresh water. In average the dry season on Samui is four months or 120 days, in el Nino-years like now, it's longer. So water storage should be at least 6 million cubic meters including some evaporation.

 

To my knowledge there are a water reservoir in Marat...

 

 

It's something like 600 x 600 meters, including the stadium island; i.e. 0.36 square kilometers minus the island, so perhaps around 0.3 square kilometers. If you can count on useable water level as 1 meter, then you need a 6 square kilometers storage for 6 million cubic meters of water, or 3 square kilometers if you have 2 meter useable water level.

 

There might be another small reservoir next to the Land Transport Office in Lipa Noi – I was of the impression that the water works there is also a reverse osmosis plant, but I might be wrong.

[Tropicalevo]

The water situation on Samui has managed to be reported in the BP.

According to them, in an article today, the island has enough water for 30 days. (IF we are lucky.)

[kwilco]

On 6/23/2023 at 5:42 PM, khunPer said:

70,000 are the registered number of people, not the actual amount of folks on the island. During the the Covid-vaccinations the authorities counted 125.000 persons as inhabitants, including non-registered inhabitants, workers and remaining tourists. You should count with the double number, i.e. at least 140,000 individuals on the island. So rather around 9 cubic meter per day per person.

 

However, far from all downpour can be stored. And where shall it be stored for the dry season?

 

Daily use of water per person is between 100 L and 200 L, not including filling a bathtub or spa with freshwater, and depending of how many times per day you shower. Many will shower three times per day, especially during the hot season. If counted with average 150 L per person per day it's 55 cubic meter per year. On top comes cleaning, including car wash and laundry; topping up in various pools due to evaporation; watering plants and garden; drinking water and ice production; etc. etc.

 

With just 200 L in average use per person per day, the daily need of fresh water will be up around 30,000 cubic meters; probably more.

 

So even when you calculate with Samui's total area and around 1,25 million cubic meter downpour in average per day, it's only a fraction of that, which can be used for freshwater. If you have a dry season of just 100 days, you'll need storage for around 3 million cubic meters of fresh water. In average the dry season on Samui is four months or 120 days, in el Nino-years like now, it's longer. So water storage should be at least 6 million cubic meters including some evaporation.

 

To my knowledge there are a water reservoir in Marat...

 

 

It's something like 600 x 600 meters, including the stadium island; i.e. 0.36 square kilometers minus the island, so perhaps around 0.3 square kilometers. If you can count on useable water level as 1 meter, then you need a 6 square kilometers storage for 6 million cubic meters of water, or 3 square kilometers if you have 2 meter useable water level.

 

There might be another small reservoir next to the Land Transport Office in Lipa Noi – I was of the impression that the water works there is also a reverse osmosis plant, but I might be wrong.

Reservoirs on Samui are totally insufficient these days and there is no suitable site for more.

The main supply is the pipe from the mainland and also may did into the water table.

Most islands in Thailand have the same problems directly as a result of untrammelled development

[ExpatOilWorker]

8 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

The water situation on Samui has managed to be reported in the BP.

According to them, in an article today, the island has enough water for 30 days. (IF we are lucky.)

With a 700 mm pipeline direct from the mainland, Samui should be OK.

Some wells are already running dry on Koh Tao and prices in certain areas are now 5-700 baht/m3.

How is Koh Phangan doing?

 

https://www.teamgroup.co.th/en/portfolio/expansion-of-provincial-water-supply-koh-samui-branch-phase-1-part-2/

[kwilco]

1 hour ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

With a 700 mm pipeline direct from the mainland, Samui should be OK.

Some wells are already running dry on Koh Tao and prices in certain areas are now 5-700 baht/m3.

How is Koh Phangan doing?

 

https://www.teamgroup.co.th/en/portfolio/expansion-of-provincial-water-supply-koh-samui-branch-phase-1-part-2/

The problem with the pipeline is it doesn't seem fully operational - and at the end of the day there still has to be water to put into it....

as the water comes from Nakhon St THammarat and Suratthani, both have drought/water shortage problems of their own

[billd766]

One of the problems that is rarely thought about is that by attracting more tourists, more water is used (and has to be disposed of) plus more trash piles up to be disposed of.

 

Tourist business operators don't seem to plan for that and AFAICS neither does the local authority. They are too busy chasing cash and profits to consider forward thinking.

[kwilco]

27 minutes ago, billd766 said:

One of the problems that is rarely thought about is that by attracting more tourists, more water is used (and has to be disposed of) plus more trash piles up to be disposed of.

Hardly! People have been pointing that out for years.

As I just said it happens on all the islands around Thailand that have tourists.

Samui about 5 years ago had a huge garbage scandals that even gave the local governor the nickname of "rubbish"

.

Whereas the Thai authorities are slow in reacting retroactively the problems arise from untrammelled development that has been the norm all over Thailand - basically for the last 40 years or so, the country has =been pooping in its own nest and failing to heed the advice of those who could see what damage was being done - but it is nothing new.

[Tropicalevo]

15 hours ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

With a 700 mm pipeline direct from the mainland, Samui should be OK.

 

'Samui' will not be OK.

It is a bigger problem than that. There has never been enough government water for the island.

Even if they get the pipeline working properly, it will not help most people.

It will only help those on the government supply. ie the larger villages.

I think that most people on Samui use private wells or trucks.

At our daily staff meeting this morning, I asked 'who is on government water'? Only one said yes. The other 10 have their water delivered by  trucks.

There are five 'farang' developments on the peninsular where I live, as well as four hotels (including Six Senses.)

This does not include a fair number of private houses and small businesses that are dotted around.

None will receive benefit from the pipeline. None are on government water.

Then there are the other developments and hotels around the island. Lots of them. Most are not on government water.

This is not a 'quick fix'.

It needs more than just 'gaffer tape'.

Clue - stop draining the rainwater into the sea Mr Mayor.

 

 

 

[Misty]

Just reading this thread and wondering what Samui residents would advise people considering a vacation there?  Postpone or don't go? 

 

[khunPer]

27 minutes ago, Misty said:

Just reading this thread and wondering what Samui residents would advise people considering a vacation there?  Postpone or don't go? 

 

Go, there will be water enough in the hotels and resorts...

[billd766]

1 hour ago, khunPer said:

Go, there will be water enough in the hotels and resorts...

Never mind the rest of the population.

 

Just go and spend your money so taht a few people will make even more money.

 

BTW, when the price of water goes up to the hotels and resorts, you will be the ones who pay for it.

[kwilco]

Here's a summary of the water supplies on Samui.

 A 41 kilometre pipeline from the mainland. Built in 2017, delivers up to 1,000 cubic meters of water per hour. - whatever that means.....  to help alleviate the water shortages that Koh Samui experiences during the dry season. Anyone living on Samui before covid will have seen the supply pipes being laid all over the island.

 

There are also two desalination plants on Koh Samui that produce drinking water from seawater. These plants are basically a very expensive and un-ecological addition. they create as many problems as they solve.

 

The total water supply for Koh Samui is only enough to meet the needs of the island's official population, but it's not enough to support  tourism industry. During peak tourist seasons, there will be water shortages.

 

The government is aiming to increase the island's water supply by 50% by 2025. They claim this is possible by building new reservoirs,  (WHERE??)  and increasing the capacity of existing reservoirs, (by how much??) and improving the efficiency of the water distribution system. - world wide most water delivery systems lose around 25 to 33% of their water - not sure what Samui thinks they will do to improve this.

 

Overuse of the water table - drilling bores all over the place will eventually end in an eco-disaster.

 

I think quite apart from directives restricting water use, one of the first things we should look for is an increase in water-borne diseases  - even cholera - as the water available becomes polluted and of lower quality.

 

 

 

Edited July 3, 2023 by kwilco

[khunPer]

1 hour ago, billd766 said:

Never mind the rest of the population.

 

Just go and spend your money so taht a few people will make even more money.

 

BTW, when the price of water goes up to the hotels and resorts, you will be the ones who pay for it.

From the article in The Thaiger:

...Prateep Kusolwattana, the director-general of Provincial Waterworks Authority 4, revealed that the water supply stations located in the Phru Na Muang reservoir and Hin Lard waterfall have been producing 15,000 cubic metres of freshwater daily for consumption on the island.

To address the water crisis issue, the Authority aims to supply an additional 24,000 cubic metres of water from Surat Thani on the mainland via an underwater pipeline to Koh Samui...

 

[Tropicalevo]

1 hour ago, billd766 said:

Never mind the rest of the population.

 

Just go and spend your money so taht a few people will make even more money.

 

BTW, when the price of water goes up to the hotels and resorts, you will be the ones who pay for it.

Without tourists, most people on the island (the rest of the population?) will be unemployed again. As shown during Covid.

We will be back to handing out food packages and so on.

Tourism is the livelihood for most of people here on Samui, in one way or another.

[kwilco]

58 minutes ago, khunPer said:

From the article in The Thaiger:

...Prateep Kusolwattana, the director-general of Provincial Waterworks Authority 4, revealed that the water supply stations located in the Phru Na Muang reservoir and Hin Lard waterfall have been producing 15,000 cubic metres of freshwater daily for consumption on the island.

To address the water crisis issue, the Authority aims to supply an additional 24,000 cubic metres of water from Surat Thani on the mainland via an underwater pipeline to Koh Samui...

 

assuming there is water in the reservoirs on the mainland

 

BTW - I love all this "cubic metre" <deleted> like so many /thai government dictums - full of figures that have no context.

[billd766]

1 hour ago, khunPer said:

From the article in The Thaiger:

...Prateep Kusolwattana, the director-general of Provincial Waterworks Authority 4, revealed that the water supply stations located in the Phru Na Muang reservoir and Hin Lard waterfall have been producing 15,000 cubic metres of freshwater daily for consumption on the island.

To address the water crisis issue, the Authority aims to supply an additional 24,000 cubic metres of water from Surat Thani on the mainland via an underwater pipeline to Koh Samui...

 

How many people, residents, workers and tourists are present on Samui at any one time?

How many resorts do their laundry every day?

How many resorts use water (and how much water) every day for their guests to shower and use the toilets, to cook and clean with.

The same applies to all the workers and the residents.

 

quote from the Thaiger

"To address the water crisis issue, the Authority aims to supply an additional 24,000 cubic metres of water from Surat Thani on the mainland via an underwater pipeline to Koh Samui."

 

It states that they will "aim" to supply 24,000 cubic metres of water per day, not that they WILL supply that much water.

 

24,000 cubic metres of water is 24 million litres of water a day. Where will they find that much extra water from, at what cost and who will pay for it? Will it just be used in the municipal water supply or available to everyone?

 

Will Samui expand their municipal water supply system to all areas and resorts? Where will all the waste (grey) water and the toilet water go to?

 

Talk is cheap but to do the job properly will take time and money.

[Misty]

16 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

Without tourists, most people on the island (the rest of the population?) will be unemployed again. As shown during Covid.

We will be back to handing out food packages and so on.

Tourism is the livelihood for most of people here on Samui, in one way or another.

It's boom or bust then. Could a plan for sustainable tourism be in order?  Oh wait, TIT.