Pattaya Water Shortage

[barryofthailand]

We have not had any water since June 7th. I have an 800 LIT tank, so i have been buying water. does anyone else have this problem?

Edited June 22, 2005 by penzman

[Kerryd]

We have not had any water since June 7th. I have an 800 LIT tank, so i have been buying water. does anyone else have this problem?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You're lucky ! My place in South Pattaya has been out of water (most days) since mid December !

When I went back last February, the landlady bought a large plastic garbage can to put in my hong nam. As soon as the water truck would make it's delivery, I'd have to fill the can up and use that for my showers and toilet.

Her sister runs a laundry downstairs. As a result, they end up getting up to 3 water deliveries a DAY !

When I was there in May, same thing. In 3 weeks, we had normal water flow for 2 days. That's why I keep hoping the monsoons start hitting fast and furious, fill up them resevoirs !

[Totster]

We have not had any water since June 7th. I have an 800 LIT tank, so i have been buying water. does anyone else have this problem?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well.... looks like you'll just have to drink beer then ... woo hoooo !

totster

[barryofthailand]

I've heard that most of Pattaya did not have water today. My wife called the water dept. and the lady that answered the phone ( i've never laughed so hard) Translated into english she said OOH People call me too much today I don't know what for doo.

[Totster]

Those size/fonts etc just aren't working for you, are they Barry..! I think you have to "close all tags" after you have finished.

totster

[barryofthailand]

Thanks Tots i'll see if it works this time.

Well o guess it worked, Thanks again

[biggles45]

we are in Soi arunothai (near shagwell). water was off for about a week but been on again for last two weeks. got 1250 litre tank, fortunately. Drove past the maprachan reservoir, and it looks pretty dismal.

[Jai Dee]

Drove past the maprachan reservoir, and it looks pretty dismal.

Someone should get in there now with some serious earth-moving equipment and increase the volume whilst the level is low...

That way there would be increased capacity for when/if the rain comes...

Edited June 10, 2005 by Jai Dee

[penzman]

I was talking about the water shortage with a Thai friend who said that moving dirt out of the reservoirs doesn't interest anyone as they only want to get involved in more lucrative new projects.

A large area of Sri Racha has been without water for over 3 months now. They showed a meeting on the news. Officials blabbing and citizens listening, sitting in their chairs, not saying a word...

The rainy season is back, still no water. Cities are expanding rapidly. Even if the reservoirs were full, some areas still won't get water because of poor planning.

[johng]

No water here on South Pattaya road either

On the news last night they where saying that the local council have started digging out Maprachan reservoir...with 10 JCB's to increase the capacity by 1 million cubic meters.

And that they where attempting to make artificial rain, so that it falls over the reservoir.

The water that they deliver from those trucks is very dirty,I'm wondering where they get it from.

[COBBER]

Interesting article in todays Pattaya Mail said that Mabprachan reservoir was down to 2 months supply of water. It was staded that water levels were so low that the pumps can no longer maintain a regular flow and that without substantial rainfall ,supplies would be exhausted within 2 months.

I find it amazing that most estates when originaly built had their own bore and supplied their own water and over the years have been allowed to connect up to the water grid. Why does the Water Company do this when they cant supply their existing users.

[barryofthailand]

\Well I see I am not by far the only one with water problems.

I asked my wife today to call our friendly Thai Plumber/ Electrician who works at a very reasonable rate. He stopped by this afternoon, and tomorrow he will Tee off our PCV from the street to our tank, and use our exusting pump to pump water from the road to our tank. When our tank is full we can turn the valve to come straight in to the house. He said he has been doing the same at villages up and down Siam Country Club. The cost for parts about 300 Baht, and labor about the same. Same cost for about four truckloads of water.

[penzman]

Check out this topic about installing a water pump. The way I've done it, if the electricity goes out you can still get water from the main (when there is ) You can also turn off the pump when you don't need it and save on the electrical bill. We only use the pump mainly for showering.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...mp+installation

Ease down on the text size as well please

[Dragonman]

Have lots of water down the road here in Sattahip. But then can't have the Thai Navy saying they haven't got any water

[Jai Dee]

I heard a couple of dys ago that they were considering running a pipeline from the Sattahip supply (which currently terminates in Na-Jomtien) to the Pattaya supply in an effort to alleviate the problem.

Can anyone else confirm this?

[penzman]

For those in the Chonburi area, there was a news conference yesterday and they will improve their installation, new filtering system. Stock up on water though, they said it would take a year, which really means 2.

[Kerryd]

For those in the Chonburi area, there was a news conference yesterday and they will improve their installation, new filtering system. Stock up on water though, they said it would take a year, which really means 2.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Got to luv "Thai Time".

10 O'clock is really 11ish

Next Tuesday is really "sometime next week, after Tuesday"

Next week could be sometime next month.

"within a year" could be 2 or more years. Of course, by then everyone will have forgotten why they were doing it in the first place, and then decide to just drop the whole idea anyways.

(Kind of like the elevated tollway by Don Muang, that's been "under construction" for how long now ?)

[PanzerJohn]

I'm amazed that theres any water left after Sonkran, although suppose most goes down the drains and back into the supply at some point.Back here in blighty they are are already talking about hosepipe bans.

[Veritas]

Totster, what did you have to tell him for

Veritas

[george]

Water shortages could force reduction in production

BANGKOK: -- Severe water shortages in Thailand's eastern industrial provinces of Chonburi and Rayong could force manufacturers to cut back on production by 10 percent, the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT) warned yesterday.

Citing a recent Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) report, IEAT Governor Uthai Juntima said that depleted water levels in reservoirs in Rayong could cause petrochemical plants to cease operating by 20 July, and would affect more than 60 factories and electricity generating plants in the province.

If the province's 32 petrochemical factories closed for just three months, the losses could run to Bt360 billion.

According to a source from a Rayong factory, the IEAT has asked all production plants in the province to cut water usage by 10 percent, and has warned that factories will have to cut production by 10 percent if this measure fails to work.

Although manufacturers have proposed the digging of more artesian wells to help address the water shortages, no conclusion has yet been reached on the issue.

Sources in the petrochemical industry suggest that trade attaches from various countries are to meet Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to discuss the impact of the water shortages on Thailand's industrial sector.

--TNA 2005-06-16

[Kerryd]

What does one of those De-Salination plants cost ? The kind that convert sea water to fresh water ? Slap a couple of those along the coast, plenty of water in the oceans (for now).

Problem is all the pollution/sewage) though. Not sure if those kinds of facilities can deal with that, or if you'd have to also install a purifying system as well.

The current solution of seeding clouds works sometimes, assuming you have clouds to seed, and they blow in the right direction. Kind of a hit-or-miss solution, and no gaurantee on how much rain will be produced.

Installing pipelines from other areas is really only a temporary solution. What if those areas start experiencing shortages as well ? With the way things are rapidly expanding, consumption is still going to exceed supply.

Where I grew up in Canada (the mountains of British Columbia), every little ravine has water trickling down. Never a worry about shortages. Those little trickles turn into streams, which turn into rivers.

Unfortunately, some of those rivers get close to a place like Las Vegas, and boom ! It's back to a trickle again (like the Colorado river). Even the mighty Columbia river experiences problems (especially as it gets close to the ocean).

Too much demand on the resouces, and too much wastage (like all those water fountains. Fresh water pumped in continuously, overflow into the sewage system).

Like many other places in the world, we are rapidly out-pacing the earth's ability to support us. This results in mankind often making fundemantal changes in the environment to meet the needs of today, without consideration for the effects it may have on tomorrow.

There ! That's my soap-box speech for the day !

Now, how many people will quote this entire post, and add nothing but a smiley at the end ?

[Dragonman]

What does one of those De-Salination plants cost ? The kind that convert sea water to fresh water ? Slap a couple of those along the coast, plenty of water in the oceans (for now).

Problem is all the pollution/sewage) though. Not sure if those kinds of facilities can deal with that, or if you'd have to also install a purifying system as well.

The current solution of seeding clouds works sometimes, assuming you have clouds to seed, and they blow in the right direction. Kind of a hit-or-miss solution, and no gaurantee on how much rain will be produced.

Installing pipelines from other areas is really only a temporary solution. What if those areas start experiencing shortages as well ? With the way things are rapidly expanding, consumption is still going to exceed supply.

Where I grew up in Canada (the mountains of British Columbia), every little ravine has water trickling down. Never a worry about shortages. Those little trickles turn into streams, which turn into rivers.

Unfortunately, some of those rivers get close to a place like Las Vegas, and boom ! It's back to a trickle again (like the Colorado river). Even the mighty Columbia river experiences problems (especially as it gets close to the ocean).

Too much demand on the resouces, and too much wastage (like all those water fountains. Fresh water pumped in continuously, overflow into the sewage system).

Like many other places in the world, we are rapidly out-pacing the earth's ability to support us. This results in mankind often making fundemantal changes in the environment to meet the needs of today, without consideration for the effects it may have on tomorrow.

There ! That's my soap-box speech for the day ! 

Now, how many people will quote this entire post, and add nothing but a smiley at the end ?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Kerryd]

     

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Smartass !

(note: a bill for yee-sip ha satang has been sent to your address for wasting bandwith !)

[Jai Dee]

Interesting article in todays Pattaya Mail said that Mabprachan reservoir was down to 2 months supply of water. It was staded that water levels were so low that the pumps can no longer maintain a regular flow and that without substantial rainfall ,supplies would be exhausted within 2 months.

Here's a photo...

An inspection visit by the Provincial Waterworks Authority on May 28 (edit by JD - this was nearly 3 weeks ago, and there has been no significant rainfall since then) was led by Kamol Pacharakorn, director of the Performance Bureau, and Thanee Thongprachum, Pattaya water supply manager.

Kamol said the reservoir has only 3 million cubic meters of water, a critically low level for Pattaya. The lower pumping station can’t suck out enough water to create a regular supply, and engineers have had to dig a ridge so the water can run under gravity.

Other reservoirs include Huaysaknok and Nong Klangdong, which also have low water levels, but are not as critical as Mabprachan, which Kamol said will run dry within two months unless there is substantial rainfall. He urged Pattaya’s citizens to help by using water economically.

Thanee explained that a similar situation occurred in 1999, when the water levels fell to the same low level, but the big difference this year is in the greatly increased number of hotels in Pattaya.

Reference: Pattaya Mail Vol. XIII No. 23

Friday June 10 - June 16, 2005

[Dragonman]

     

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Smartass !

(note: a bill for yee-sip ha satang has been sent to your address for wasting bandwith !)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Please send direct to Pattaya Deadbeats Debt Collection Agency as you will now be 43rd on the list.

[penzman]

Thanee explained that a similar situation occurred in 1999, when the water levels fell to the same low level, but the big difference this year is in the greatly increased number of hotels in Pattaya.

Reference: Pattaya Mail Vol. XIII No. 23

Friday June 10 - June 16, 2005

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

And don't, please don't blame all the crooked land sales that went on where countless villages are built knowing very well the water supplies are not sufficient. " Welcome to your new 4 million baht house ! (where you can't shower ) Here's the keys."

[Kerryd]

     

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Smartass !

(note: a bill for yee-sip ha satang has been sent to your address for wasting bandwith !)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Please send direct to Pattaya Deadbeats Debt Collection Agency as you will now be 43rd on the list.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Is that another name for the Pattaya ExPats Club ?

Maybe you can use a barter card to get 5% knocked off (hmmm ha % of yee-sip ha satang, minus commission, administrative fees and postage....I think I now owe you 25 satang !)

[george]

Drought threat on Cabinet agenda

CHONBURI: -- The Cabinet will on Tuesday discuss emergency measures to tackle severe drought conditions affecting the eastern seaboard that are threatening operations of several oil refineries and petrochemical plants. Vice Industry Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-nukara said possible solutions include cloud-seeding and digging new artesian wells.

“These are just short-term measures to increase water levels in the Dok Krai reservoir in Rayong,” said Panpree. “Yet we still need long-term measures.”

Many key oil refining and petrochemical companies are located in Chon Buri and Rayong, which are both suffering from a shift in rain patterns from east to west. The Dok Krai reservoir, which feeds the industrial zone, now has only 40 million cubic feet of water in store, of which half can be used to supply the plants. Operations in Rayong’s Map Ta Put Industrial Estate demand between 500,000-600,000 cubic feet per day.

The companies facing difficulties include National Petrochemical Plc, Thai Olefins Plc, National Fertiliser Plc, Aromatics (Thailand) Plc, Vinythai Plc, Star Refinery and Rayong Refinery. All but the last two are listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand.

In the East, there are two other main reservoirs – Nong Khor and Nong Plalai – which now hold just three million cubic feet and 24 million cubic feet respectively. Chon Buri alone needs as much as 400,000 cubic feet a day – half of it going to industrial users, according to Preecha Kamolbut, Chon Buri’s deputy governor. Panpree said Eastern Water Resources and Management Plc, which manages Dok Krai reservoir, had started cutting water supplies to industrial plants in Map Ta Phut and Lat Krabang.

Many observers are concerned the drought could disrupt the economy, particularly if the refineries or petrochemical plants cannot operate at full capacity.

JP Morgan Securities (Thailand) Ltd said in a research paper that reservoir levels in the area are down to 20 per cent of capacity, from the 50 per cent comfort level, according to Eastern Water. “In addition, stop-gap measures are being introduced [attempting more cloud-seeding, digging more artesian wells, installing desalination units, and for petrochemical plants, advancing scheduled shut-downs]. However, based on our conversations with several petrochemical and power operators in the region, there’s not much confidence these measures will work,” the securities company said.The brokerage is concerned that if water shortages persist, major companies might be asked to further reduce their water usage. “In our opinion, it is possible that operating rates, and revenues, of these firms may be reduced over the next two to three months,” it said.

--The Nation 2005-06-18

[wilko]

We have no mains water in Sri Racha on a pretty long term basis now. I have a well but the water is not very nice and you never know how long before that dries up. Before in Arunothai, Pattaya we had a well but that has now dried up I’m told. The mains on our soi was always intermittent.

I’m somewhat concerned as to the effects of lowering or emptying the water table in Pattaya; surely this will change the nature of the sand that this town is built on. Pumping several million gallons of water out from under our house/condos etc must put them at risk of subsidence?

As for saving water energy and the like, there seems little or no attempt to establish an eco-friendly attitude amongst the various businesses here on the main land or on Thailand’s many islands come to that.

For instance, there are many toilets systems that use little or no water - such a precious commodity now in Pattaya or on an overcrowded island. Composting toilets, widely used in Australia, not only use no water, they actually produce a dry odourless manure that can be used to improve soil quality.

Then there is “Bio-poo” a below ground system that can use any water except sea water and requires very little emptying and is available

[barryofthailand]

Well last night i went to change my valves to fill up my water tank. Sometime when the pump goes on there is no water to pump. Last night there was plenty of water. My tank filled up, my pump shut off , and i've been able to pump water from the street without u8sing my reserve in the tank. Funny thing, i am the only house on the soi that has water.

Good luck i guess.