Sattahip investigates water supply quality after 610 fall ill

SATTAHIP:--Sattahip officials are investigating the cause of suspected water contamination believed responsible for sending at least 600 residents to the hospital with stomach ailments.

District Water Supply Department officials on Sept. 7 tested the area’s water-storage tank to determine if it was contaminated with chemicals or some other agent that also caused resident fish to die. While authorities were still waiting for test results, they ruled out that the dead fish themselves were cause of the ailments, as fish typically can be found in hard-water storage tanks and thrive there.

However, many of the fish died, probably due to a lack of oxygen in the tank. Officials ordered the dead fish removed, put in plastic bags with alum and then disposed of at a local dump.

Around the same time, in late August, 610 Sattahip residents poured into Queen Sirikit Naval Medical Center, Apakorn Kiatwong Hospital and Sattahip Hospital, complaining of stomach aches and vomiting.

Affected were 163 teachers and students from Sattahip Navy School, 83 from the Singhsamut School, 37 from Sattahip High School, 44 from Lerdpannya School, 52 from Ban Sattahip School, 48 from Navikyoburana School, and 49 from Sattahip Naval Fleet School. Another 183 area residents also went to the hospital.

Health officials suspect hundreds more suffered milder symptoms not requiring hospitalization.

- See more at: http://www.pattayamail.com/localnews/sattahip-investigates-water-supply-quality-after-610-fall-ill-41249#sthash.NjECYEjQ.dpuf

-- Pattaya Mail 2014-09-19

I taught at the Singsamut School (MEP) in 2005-2006. Who would want to drink that water?

Most Thai fish can breathe oxygen from the air. The water looks seriously contaminated with algae and probably protozoa.