Water Supply Disruption - Again!

[Guderian]

I live in a moobaan between Thepprasit and Third Road. The water supply in this village used to be very reliable, but lately it has gone to pieces. Water has tricked in at night, so as I've got an underground tank gravity has been sufficient to keep me pretty well topped up. The last 3 days the water supply has completely disappeared. Asking around outside the village, people say that they have a very small trickle but not enough to keep their tanks filled. One guy told me that the water authority is laying new pipes from Pattaya Klaang to Pattaya Tai, and that's why there's no pressure. I've no idea if that's right. Does anybody else have problems with the water supply at the moment, and does anybody know what's causing it and when it will be back to normal?

[the wanderer]

We live out near fly now and must say very very rarely have a problem ,always high pressure

[OMGImInPattaya]

All's good on NPW

[guzzi850m2]

No problems in my moo baan near BKKPat hospital and never was during over 5 years here

[Jimmyd]

Central Pattaya--no water now, very little since last night.

[BIGJIMMY]

I'm in SSCC and there are big black pipes on the side of the road, they've been digging up the side of the road so perhaps thats the water pipe you talking about. Our water supply is unaffected.

[Asiantravel]

I wonder if it is related to the problem which caused me to post this at the end of last month :-

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/629495-water-cut-off-throughout-the-province/

Edited April 26, 2013 by Asiantravel

[avidflyer]

Pattayatai around 3rd rd, little water the past few days... but that's par for the course around here. Okay about 90% of the time.

[Guderian]

Central Pattaya--no water now, very little since last night.

I'm in SSCC and there are big black pipes on the side of the road, they've been digging up the side of the road so perhaps thats the water pipe you talking about. Our water supply is unaffected.

Pattayatai around 3rd rd, little water the past few days... but that's par for the course around here. Okay about 90% of the time.

Thanks for the replies. It sounds like there might be something in the new pipes in Pattaya Klaang story. I called the Water Authority yesterday and the lady I spoke to didn't explain what the reason for the disruption was, but she promised that it would be back today. So at least it sounds like they are aware of the problem and doing something about it.

[Potosi]

Between South Pattaya and Theprasit, no water. Used to get tap water in April.

[doggie888888]

Water supply is also bad in Naklua Soi 12 area. Low pressure, frequent cuts but generally enough to keep tanks full. But if it gets any worse, and it will with more condos and hotels coming up, the cuts may be more frequent. 5 years ago, water supply was consistent, but it has deteriorated in the last year or so.

[Guderian]

I've got water back this afternoon as promised. This morning when we were still without any water supply a fire engine turned up offering free water to anyone who wanted it. Lucky that I was in. This truly is amazing Thailand!

[davethailand]

None on Suksabai for 2 days but now I'm ok. (so it seems)

Nice of them to warn people, nearly burnt my pump out.

[Potosi]

The tank-truck owner I always call when my tanks run dry came at 23:00 today, six hours after I called. Told me he made deliveries from 06:00 all day long, no water all over the city, and he looked tired. If one of you wants to open a small business, this could be one. Unlikely that the supply of tap water will ever improve.

[bigwilly]

Tony's gym on 3rd Road was without water for showers and toilets till 3.00PM Saturday. The water truck was trying hard to get some water into the system but it is hard due to the amount of tanks onsite. Seemed like there had been no water all day as the Toilets "were on the nose" to say the least.

BW.

[RabC]

None on Suksabai for 2 days but now I'm ok. (so it seems)

Nice of them to warn people, nearly burnt my pump out.

Strange as next door in Pattaya Lagoon low pressure but still water. I guess we get it from a different supply main.

[Gsxrnz]

If you have low pressure that sometimes fails to fill your tank, fit a bypass between the feeder pipe and the tank using two gate-valves (one to switch the supply directly to the pump, one to isolate the tank supply to the pump). When pressure is low you switch the gate valves so that the pump is pumping directly from the street supply feeder. I've done this in three houses and works a treat - total cost about 1,000 baht including labour of your local fixit bloke.

When normal pressure returns just revert back to normal. The only drawback is that sometimes the water can be a bit murky as it hasn't had a chance to "settle" in the tank.

[johng]

If you pump directly from the mains supply wont that cause the presure to drop further ? not good for the neighbours.

also you could be sucking in contaminated water from the ground around the mains pipe.

[Gsxrnz]

If you pump directly from the mains supply wont that cause the presure to drop further ? not good for the neighbours.

also you could be sucking in contaminated water from the ground around the mains pipe.

If the pressure is low then it will have a low foot head - might only be 2 feet above street level. The inlet pipe for an above ground tank is nominally at say 6 feet. So the neighbours won't be getting any water anyway - my bypass system takes advantage of the low pressure/low foot head situation and won't affect the neighbours (unless they have the same system fitted. However if you have zero pressure or your pump is higher than the foot-head at the street, my system won't work as it will end up sucking air. In the 8 or 10 times that I've had water pressure problems there's always been enough pressure for the bypass system to work admirably.

As to the ground water contamination at low pressures- yes I agree what you suggest is possible, even probable. Those contaminants will still be in the supply pipes when you regain normal pressure anyway, so it's a lose/lose situation. Also, the water supply system here even when working properly is at pressures well below what we would normally have expect in our home countries so ground contamination from loose joints or leaky pipes between you and the reservoir is to be expected even when the water supply is at "normal" pressure.

The integrity of the supply pipes is questionable at the best of times. Have you ever drained your above ground tank and looked at the silt/mud in the bottom? Even better, if you have an in-ground tank but don't have the inspection cover tightly sealed you'll find an interesting array of deceased wildlife as well as the mud.

[BIGJIMMY]

Where do the water tank delivery guys get their water, do they suck it out directly from Mabrachan or the like or officially from the water department?

Jimmy

[QED]

Where do the water tank delivery guys get their water, do they suck it out directly from Mabrachan or the like or officially from the water department?

Jimmy

Down my way I see them sucking it from a muddy klong near my house