Bangkok's Don Muang Canal Full Of Dirty Water, Survey Finds

[metroman]

You didn't need a survey, I could have told you that startling news for free.

[metroman]

Did you notice the high level of E-coli , 30k-60k units /per/mg./ liter, against a maximum acceptable of 200 units/per/mg./liter. Quite a variance from acceptable. We could safely bet that the 30k-60k range cited was a "damage control hedge," with the count being 60K more often than not. WHO officials might be dropping in to Don Muang anytime soon with those white space suits on doing their own specimen checks.

The article went on to say that "people living near its banks might get diarrhea and other illness." Many of these people are showing up at your local food stall serving lunch or tasty treats on the street. This contaminated canal water and fecal matter mixed in with vermin droppings and urine is a very serious ramification of the after floods not being managed professionally.

Will the canal be a source of water for the upcoming Songkran splashing festivities?

"Happy New Year!!! Have a mouthful of fecal matter!"

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In Chiang Mai I saw the people contribute to the cleaning of a very dirty canal by scooping buckets of water to throw on passersby during Songkhan.

[oops]

A sad custom here in Amazing Thailand. If you have garbage, just drop it .... your problem is solved. I see it every day. There is a beautiful large park across the street from my home and everyday there are hundreds of Thais that go to walk, exercise and socialize. And everyday the park is covered with litter as people just drop wrappings and bags where they stand even when the waste bucket is right beside them. Leave it for somebody else to pick up, no longer their problem. Unbelievable.

They do the same thing at the beaches. My 6 year old son and I would go to the beach near our home and pick up trash in front of them every weekend. We did this for one year, it was funny to see the faces of some of the Thai's, and just a note "we really appreciated those to stop to pick up at least one piece of trash', yet leave a truck load of garbage at their resting spot. Now they have people who clean the beach on a regular basis but they still pick the waters dry of clams that have little or no meat in them and they drag their nets through the waters killing anything that gets tangled in them. But the fisherman do leave batteries, oil cans, and shit over the side so the fecies ends up on shore. It seems like any water way is the best way to get rid of garbage here which I have never understood. Most of the trash in the sea around Thailand comes from the islands and the fisherman from what I can see. On land it is construction and those who live on the rivers.

[Nisa]

Why did they even bother testing it? <deleted>?! Really, is there any canal, river, lake..anything that is NOT filthy, disgusting, disease ridden anywhere in Thailand???

You have looked outside the city if you aren't aware of beautiful fresh clean rivers and waterfalls in Thailand.

[Nisa]

Did you notice the high level of E-coli , 30k-60k units /per/mg./ liter, against a maximum acceptable of 200 units/per/mg./liter. Quite a variance from acceptable. We could safely bet that the 30k-60k range cited was a "damage control hedge," with the count being 60K more often than not. WHO officials might be dropping in to Don Muang anytime soon with those white space suits on doing their own specimen checks.

I think they are not stating this correctly. It appears the may be saying that it should not exceed 200 units (mg untils) per liter instead of per 100 milliliter.

The EPA (US) water quality standard for E. coli bacteria is 394 colony forming units per 100 mL.

( or 39,400 per liter .. This applies to a river & not drinking water) ...

http://www.lcra.org/...indicators.html

If this is the case then the numbers they are quoting are not 30k to 60k over 200 but actually 300 to 600. Regardless, it is still bad but this is to be expected during and after heavy rains and run off. In Los Angeles you can actually see the the feces in the water headed towards the sea after heavy rains ... this is why they often close the beaches after heavy rains.

Somebody can correct my math if I am wrong because my home country isn't on the metric system. But I would think if it was 10,000 to 30,000 times higher than acceptable that you could easily cross the river walking across the sh@t piles.

Edited February 22, 2012 by Nisa

[dean999]

I wish I had known that before I went swimming in it.

Lucky for you, you only went swimming......I brush my babys teeth using that water. Sh_t.

[bytebuster]

60,000 units/mg/litre instead of 200?

And they call it, faecal matter released into the water?

I would rather say it's a little bit of water released into the faecal matter!