No Mains Water Until Further Notice!

[Route21]

Our local municipal "blue pipe" water source ran dry about a week ago and the "boss man" apparently says we are all on our own until the government provides cash to solve the problem.

I believe the farmers are using the bulk of the warer to save their crops and that leaves very little for domestic consumers.

We're quite lucky, as we've 2 storage tanks in the loft and one in the garden, but don't know how long they'll last. We do, occasionally, get an occasional trickle coming into the garden tank.

Similarly, we have a pond that we're using to water our recently laid turf, but that's running low.

Not sure how everyone else will fare until the government solves the problem.

Anyone else in a similar situation?

Regards

R21

PS: The huge local, recently excavated, meandering, storm channels are bone dry, cracking up and caving in.

[fredob43]

This sort of thing happens all over Thailand the further out of a town you are the more you will get it especially in the dry season. Most peep's dig a well but in the dry season even they can run dry.

You might be down to getting water delivered by wagon not cheap but at least you will have some, not to sure how you will get on with filling the tank's in the roof but there should be no problem with the tank in the garden.

Re lasting our water stopped about a year ago due to a broken main's pipe took them a week to fix, our tank's lasted 5 day's they hold 2,500lt each. Get the good lady to sort out delivery asap. This might be an on going thing where you are so you might have to get extra tank's fitted in the garden. Best of luck.

N/B have a friend that lives 4/5km east of Pet and his stop's for a day or two at the moment don't look to good.

Edited February 7, 2013 by fredob43

[Morden]

We have about three days' supply in our tank, supplied from the town mains. One day, the tank ran dry. When we asked the neighbours what was happening they told us that the water was cut off three days earlier and no-one knew when it would be restored. We have a deep pumped well. Although the water is heavy in minerals, it helped us through the following few days. In fact, with a suitable filter system, you might get by with that alone.

[Route21]

...... not to sure how you will get on with filling the tank's in the roof but there should be no problem with the tank in the garden.

Re lasting our water stopped about a year ago due to a broken main's pipe took them a week to fix, our tank's lasted 5 day's they hold 2,500lt each.

Hi fred

Yes, we have 2x1k litre tanks in the loft, fed from the 1600 litre break tank in the garden, as there isn't enough umph in the mains to get to the loft.

I haven't seen any fresh water tankers around the area, but, if it came to a crunch, either the local "boss man" or my BiL/his boss man would have access to the info.

A mate's pond was recently running dry and so he hired an excavator that dug down 30ft and now he has plenty of pond water. We could do the same with our pond, but the water would have to go through some form of filter before we could use it as domestic water.

We make our own drinking water from the loft tank (blue pipe) water via a specialsed small multi-canistor + UV filter under the kitchen sink. The blue pipe water has loads of calcium.

Cheers!

R21

[wayned]

Happens all of the time where I live. I have 12 big cisterns in the back of the house to gather rain water from roof run off and when the local water supply is off I pump water into my main tank. Only had to buy water once in the last 15 years. Problems are local well goes dry, the pump breaks and parts are hard to find, or, because of the very "hard" water, the distribution lines become clogged. They have replaced the mains twice during the past 15 years and I have had to replace my main input once and redo all of my drainage pipes. Pretty much like burning trash, burning sugar cane fields, rice patties and all of the other inconvenienceses that you learn to live with if you want to live in the country away from the rat race!

[fredob43]

...... not to sure how you will get on with filling the tank's in the roof but there should be no problem with the tank in the garden.

Re lasting our water stopped about a year ago due to a broken main's pipe took them a week to fix, our tank's lasted 5 day's they hold 2,500lt each.

Hi fred

Yes, we have 2x1k litre tanks in the loft, fed from the 1600 litre break tank in the garden, as there isn't enough umph in the mains to get to the loft.

I haven't seen any fresh water tankers around the area, but, if it came to a crunch, either the local "boss man" or my BiL/his boss man would have access to the info.

A mate's pond was recently running dry and so he hired an excavator that dug down 30ft and now he has plenty of pond water. We could do the same with our pond, but the water would have to go through some form of filter before we could use it as domestic water.

We make our own drinking water from the loft tank (blue pipe) water via a specialsed small multi-canistor + UV filter under the kitchen sink. The blue pipe water has loads of calcium.

Cheers!

R21

If you are having a problem with getting water delivered try the water office they must have peep's on their book's for same.

Give them a small tip to fill your garden one slowly and you will be able to refill your other two tank's via pump as well, in the mean time you must think of getting more tank's I don't know how much water you use but if your frugal 7/8 day's at best 'watering grass' sorry to be a party pooper but this problem is not going to go away as wayned stated it's a regular occurrence where he is, one of the joy's etc.

Re the water tanker's the one's I've seen look like something out of only fool's and horses To-wit not great but they seem to work ok. I wouldn't drink the stuff though even via a filter Buddha knows what's in it but it's ok for shower's and the like's.

I had a problem several year's ago when I lived just outside Pattaya we had to use the tanker's then and the water was at best wet, that lasted for almost a year now sorted there I believe but they still have water problem's every now and again.

You should be ok once the rain's come again but if we have a long dry spell who knows. As before best of luck.

Fred.

[netcyberg]

There is no mains water in Jomtien second road for almost 1 week so far....it's outrageous. Does anyone know when will it be sorted out?

[billd766]

So fra this year we still have water but I figure it will only be for 2 or 3 weeks more.

I have 27 ongs out the back but you try to explain to Thais that if they just pee leave it for 2 or 3 times then flush just once.

Show them roughly how much water is in a pee and how much in the cistern to flush that away. 5 litres.

Many times I have had a pee, left it, my wife comes in, flushes the toilet, has a pee and then flushes it again. I get soooooooooooooooo mad.

When the family come up from BKK they have NO concept of saving water.

Normally we have 5 people living here but at the holidays that normally doubles.

[netcyberg]

IMHO it sounds ridiculous when people talk about water consumption and peeing/flushing a toilet after it in a large tropical country full of natural water resources. And surrounded by water. This is ridiculous!

Even Arab countries in the middle of the <deleted>*ing desert DO NOT have this kind of water supply problems that i.e Pattaya has.

For God sake, Thai's, pull yourself together from another sabai-sabai - this is not a rocket science to get the mains up and running once and for all.

Edited February 17, 2013 by netcyberg

[wayned]

Since you know it all and it's not "rocket sciece" please provide a technicakl explanation of what the problem is and how to correct it.

[Route21]

Even Arab countries in the middle of the <deleted>*ing desert DO NOT have this kind of water supply problems that i.e Pattaya has.

Arab gulf countries, in general have had access to vast quantities of oil/gas. This fuels the large power stations they need to operate the huge numbers of A/C's they use.

Fresh, desalinated, sea water is a byproduct of the huge demand for electrical power.

There's also a fair number of underground aquafers.

In the 20 years I was associated with the gulf, 1 ltr of water was more expensive than 1 ltr of petrol.

There would probably be no shortage of water in Thailand if Thais were prepared to pay more for their water than for petrol (assuming all the profits were channelled back into water infrastructure!).

R21

[netcyberg]

There would probably be no shortage of water in Thailand if Thais were prepared to pay more for their water than for petrol (assuming all the profits were channelled back into water infrastructure!).

R21

Please, with all the respect to your qualifications and my unprofessional attitude towards the topic. But I realize there is a huuuuge difference in terms of water resources when we talk about large and pretty settled country such as Thailand which has a rain forest, mountains, large rivers and a number of lakes, tropical rains, huuuuge costal line, etc. etc and some middle east countries literally in the middle of no-mans land. And yet they manage somehow to provide a decent water supply to its populations.

And on the other hand Thais still cannot figure this out, letting people without any mains water supply for weeks if not months thinking it’s a normal situation. It’s not in my home country anyways.

Please, give me a break, but it sounds ridiculous from my point of view.

And if you think that it’s a matter of money - I tell you this. I just paid 300 BTH for 2 m3 of water which is not yet clean enough to drink and hardly could be used for anything related to cooking. I guess this is not cheap even in western countries ha?

In my opinion this has nothing to do with the lack of resources, but the lack of clever and profession management among Thais responsible figures. Like almost everywhere else in this country.

Edited February 17, 2013 by netcyberg

[Route21]

I agree that Thailand has a huge water management problem, but it's "huuuuge" coastline only serves to provide a huge amount of salt water.

Unless it can economically be desalinated and pumped to where it's needed, as it can be in the gulf countries (dictated by their economic situation), it's not available for washing or drinking.

One thing that they do in the gulf, that Thailand could possibly benefit from is using partially-treated sewerage water for irrigation purposes. But that involves expenditure on a proper segregated drainage collection system rather than using septic tanks and soakaways/ditches, where it's pot luck if and when, with clay soil, it makes it to the water table.

I also believe they should reserve a cetain portion of the available water for domestic, rather than agricultural use, as, at the moment, I believe, the vast majority of the water is used for farming and the domestic customer just gets what's left over, if any. Again, this needs investment in segregated water mains - domestic vs agricultural without even considering industrial use.

Trying to be constructive.

Regards

R21

[billd766]

There would probably be no shortage of water in Thailand if Thais were prepared to pay more for their water than for petrol (assuming all the profits were channelled back into water infrastructure!).

R21

Please, with all the respect to your qualifications and my unprofessional attitude towards the topic. But I realize there is a huuuuge difference in terms of water resources when we talk about large and pretty settled country such as Thailand which has a rain forest, mountains, large rivers and a number of lakes, tropical rains, huuuuge costal line, etc. etc and some middle east countries literally in the middle of no-mans land. And yet they manage somehow to provide a decent water supply to its populations.

And on the other hand Thais still cannot figure this out, letting people without any mains water supply for weeks if not months thinking it’s a normal situation. It’s not in my home country anyways.

Please, give me a break, but it sounds ridiculous from my point of view.

And if you think that it’s a matter of money - I tell you this. I just paid 300 BTH for 2 m3 of water which is not yet clean enough to drink and hardly could be used for anything related to cooking. I guess this is not cheap even in western countries ha?

In my opinion this has nothing to do with the lack of resources, but the lack of clever and profession management among Thais responsible figures. Like almost everywhere else in this country.

My mains water supply comes from the Mae Wong national park hills. This is great providing that it keeps raining.

However in

October 2012 92.2 mm of rain over 11 days from 31

November 2012 23.7 mm over 4 days from 30

December 2012 31 mm over 2 days from 31

January 2013 6.4 mm over 2 days from 31

February to date 0.0 mm over 0 days from 18

From 1st October to date a total of 153.3 mm of rain has fallen.

This is not my opinion just the dry facts.

If you can arrange a pipeline over 500 km long from the nearest desalination plant please drop me a line so I can change suppliers.

Edited February 18, 2013 by billd766

[billd766]

I have just gone back over the Thai Weather forecast average over the last 30 years and for that period from October to mid February the average was 288.2 mm compared with 153.3 mm last year and this year. About 53% of the average rainfall.

[phutoie2]

It rained for about 3 hours yesterday in south Phetchabun, "big raining" as Mrs PT2 so eloquently puts it. Anyway I made sure all my pots and plastic containers were in place to collect it.

Mains water , I dream about the stuff, only available for frontage road and down a few Soi's in this R21 town. If you want it installed you have to pay the water company, I was quoted a ridiculous amount of money some 7 years back now. We have survived on water from the ground via a pump and the 15L drinking water bottles that get delivered.

The rain yesterday has done wonders for the lawn!.

[billd766]

It rained for about 3 hours yesterday in south Phetchabun, "big raining" as Mrs PT2 so eloquently puts it. Anyway I made sure all my pots and plastic containers were in place to collect it.

Mains water , I dream about the stuff, only available for frontage road and down a few Soi's in this R21 town. If you want it installed you have to pay the water company, I was quoted a ridiculous amount of money some 7 years back now. We have survived on water from the ground via a pump and the 15L drinking water bottles that get delivered.

The rain yesterday has done wonders for the lawn!.

I am just the opposite to you as I do have mains water but the village is basically all frontage road so no problem there. On the other hand we live on a slope leading up to the Mae Wong national park at the back of the land and less than a metre down is solid rock and the last quote we got a few years ago was "maybe" 1 million baht and no guarantee. He was talking about diamond tipped drill bits etc so I said to 'er indoors, forget it. Only once in 8 years have we needed to buy in drinking water.

I now have a total of 27 ongs

These are 3,000 litres each fed in the rainy season from the roof of the house.

Edited February 19, 2013 by billd766

[wayned]

Our mains water comes from a well that is approximately 2,5 kilometers away. I'm the last house on the line. The well is 40m deep. The water is pumped into cisterns that are on a tower approx. 20 meters high. When the well goes dry there is no water, happens often in dry season because the farmers use the water for irrigation. When the pump breaks, there is no water. Normally after the pump is removed from the 40 meter well the part that is needed is not available and has to be shipped. When there is water the pressure is not very good and the water has a high mineral content that clogs valves and pipes. The mains pipes have been replaced 2 times in the last 14 years because they became totally blocked.My flush toilets stopped working after 12 years, not because of internal mechanisms that had been replaced numerous times, but because the "flush" distribution channels in the base are totally clogged with sediment. We now flush with a bucket. I have 12 cisterns in the back of the house that gather rainwter run off from the roof through a guttering syatem and pump that water into the main tank when there is no water. It works fine and I survive with just a little extra ingenuity and love every minute of it, and the water evens tastes good (minerals, fertilizers and all) and hasn't clogged my inners!

[Route21]

We've, thankfully, survived with enough water to keep us going, mainly thanks to the ground level tank being fed, via a ballcock, from the mains whenever there's any water available.

The local headman is still awaiting government funding for a new source of water. Hopefully any new source will be a tad softer than our current supply.

R21

[fredob43]

We've, thankfully, survived with enough water to keep us going, mainly thanks to the ground level tank being fed, via a ballcock, from the mains whenever there's any water available. The local headman is still awaiting government funding for a new source of water. Hopefully any new source will be a tad softer than our current supply. R21

Glad to hear that all has gone well (no pun intended) might still be a good idea to get another tank next to the original maybe, simple thing to link the two with a pipe. I wouldn't live in hope that thing's will improve quickly took a friend of mine three month's to get his main's pipe sorted and that was via their so called head man but thing's did improve a trite after a few Bt well Scotch Whiskey was handed over.

When we had a problem with our main's it was pi//ing water every ware 'before the metre' the good lady went 4 time's to the water office with no success, then I went all I said that if they didn't know how to fix it or all the peep's there were incapable of doing so I would have to go over the manager's head to fix the leak, well would you believe it within an hour a digger was sent round + two pickup's loaded with workmen three hour's later all sorted but I did loose a banana tree. Later the G/L asked what I had said when I told her she said you cant say that the top man would loose face, I pointed out that loose face or not it got done. I'm now allowed to go every ware if there is some sort of problem

Have a go as I did might just work, well worth a try.

Best of luck.

[Route21]

Well, the good news is we don't get our water from a "boar hole" like they appear to do in Shanghai!

The bad news is that my daughter is just about to rejoin her husband out there, with their young family!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/9921850/Nearly-3000-dead-pigs-found-in-river-supplying-Shanghais-drinking-water.html

R21

[Route21]

We've run out of pond water for watering the lawn. Need to dig a 2nd, much deeper pond.

Phetchabun had absolutely torrential thunderstorm yesterday evening, but no rain South of Sam Yak.

[wayned]

We've run out of pond water for watering the lawn. Need to dig a 2nd, much deeper pond.

Phetchabun had absolutely torrential thunderstorm yesterday evening, but no rain South of Sam Yak.

I have a modern gravel lawn! Keep it neat with weed killer!

[Route21]

I have a modern gravel lawn! Keep it neat with weed killer!

They don't sell green stones locally! ;-) :-)

[wayned]

I have a modern gravel lawn! Keep it neat with weed killer!

They don't sell green stones locally! ;-) :-)

Mine's natural grey!

[Route21]

Well!

They dug down & down deep, looking for water. We now have a very deep hole beyond our back garden fence but no further water!

The water that was in the pond, which we believed represented the local water table, was just previous rain water that couldn't drain out through the impervious bed/walls of the pond.

Despite having not fed the fish in the pond, we got lots of large fish, including a large Koi that was a tad sickly in our small Koi pond, so we'd thrown him into the main pond. He was much bigger than any of the "pet" Koi.

The soil they excavated looks like excellent growing soil, if only we had the water for growing plants.

So..... Over to Plan B:

Channel all rainwater (whenever we actually get any), from every available source, directly into the newly enlarged pond and grow edible/saleable fish varieties (including Koi - but not catfish) in the new pond and fruit/veg on the newly placed soil.

R21

(PS I'm a lapsed fish-eating vegan!)