Bangkok's tap-water services hit by drought

[webfact]

Hit by Drought and Seawater, Bangkok Tap Water May Run Out in a Month
Reuters

BANGKOK: -- Bangkok's tap water supply may run out in a month, as the country waits for long overdue rains to replenish sources depleted by drought and threatened by seawater creep, the chief of the capital's water authority said.

Thailand is suffering its worst drought in more than a decade. In an effort to maintain water levels in the dams that supply water for agriculture in the provinces as well as taps in the capital Bangkok, the government has asked farmers to refrain from planting rice since last October.

Despite these measures, water levels are critically low in the three key reservoirs that flow into the Chao Phraya river, one of the two main sources of Bangkok's tap water.

Full story: http://www.voanews.com/content/with-drought-seawater-bangkok-tap-water-may-run-out-in-a-month/2851623.html

-- Voice of America 2015-07-07

[trogers]

Close all those Turkish bath parlours for 3 months.

[clockman]

No forethought, or planning!

[samjaidee]

"If the salinity soars past standard level, we will ask people to store water beforehand," Thanasak said.

Should read: "We will warn people if the salinity looks like it's going to exceed standard level, so they can store water beforehand."

It's a bit late if it's soared past already.

[Lupatria]

Note to myself: I should consider to stop drinking less beer.

[northernphil]

Now there's a thought. All that Chang and Leo beer is made in BKK. If the beer starts tasting salty it might mean they are using sea water instead of filtered canal water.

[fred Kubasa]

Will absolutely no water affect the submarine purchase ?

[plachon]

Thailand's big problem? No infrastructure when it comes to water storage, and sadly even America is the same way! And to add many other nations!

If you mean the USA, you are incorrect. The USA has one of the most extensive water management systems in the world and that includes a reservoir system that is both sophisticated and capable of handling drought. The only reason there is a problem in Southern California is because there has been a drought for the past few years and California's farmers insist on growing water intensive crops in regions where they should not be grown.

In Thailand, we also see farmers insist on growing water intensive crops in regions where they should not be grown. Thai farmers refuse to consider alternative crops better suited for arid conditions. This is due in large part to the cultural myth of rice. The same issue occurs in Africa, where farmers continue to plant maize which offers limited nutritional value.

Apart from the issue you identify of farmers in both locations growing water intensive crops in arid or semi-arid areas, denying the ecological limits of an increasingly strained resource, what is also a common denominator is that farmers pay far too little for the irrigation water, or in most cases in Thailand, absolutely nothing. Thus, they have little incentive to conserve it or plant water sparing crops.

However, both the US and Thai governments have totally overbuilt the infrastructure,especially in the Chao Phraya Basin and California, creating a false impression that there is plenty of water for everyone and every sector, when in fact this is a myth in both countries. This becomes plainly obvious during droughts, which are part "natural", but far more socially and politically-induced disasters, because of the attention paid to supply-side infrastructure and lack of attention to demand-side management, both now and over many years in the past. This oversight is now catching up with both countries, although Thailand still thinks it can build its way out of the hole it has dug, following the Californian model. It will cost it dearly, unless it wakes up to the myths it has created.

[emilymat]

Will absolutely no water affect the submarine purchase ?

No. If you can have a submarine dept. for 30 years with no subs, then you really don't need water for the subs when you finally have them.

[Jay Sata]

These headlines will not help the tourist trade.

The pictures of roads collapsing near empty rivers have been quite dramatic.

Where will the finger of blame be pointed?

[Halion]

Neither proactive or reactive in any tangible maner. They just sit around on their lazy backsides and wait for the weather to bail them out. Nobody to blame but them.

[anon4546543]

I am assuming that this near disaster will not impact on reverse osmosis and potable water in plastic bottles. There certainly seems to be a lack of water infrastructure "in the pipeline". (so to speak)

[gandalf12]

Instead of wanting a bullet train why not put th money into building an underground storage facility for water? In fact is you want to be clever you build a power plant on elevated ground and use the water in the night to turn the generators. It would need to be a dm system but it could be done.

[wabothai]

Yeah bullit trains, new double tracks, expensive freeways, submarines, gambling houses, all for face.

Bangkok with no water? Who cares?

93 % is happy !!!!!!

[casualbiker]

I am assuming that this near disaster will not impact on reverse osmosis and potable water in plastic bottles. There certainly seems to be a lack of water infrastructure "in the pipeline". (so to speak)

Where do you think the water companies get their water?

The smaller companies are connected to the mains water same as you or me!

Larger companies may well have their own ground water wells and storage.

[anon4546543]

To casual biker.

I had assumed that drinking water was obtained from river systems and then underwent reverse osmosis and filtering. I had assumed that no one drank tap water unless it was treated first. In my village there is plenty of tap water and everybody drinks bottled water. I water my garden from a bore which I am told does not contain so much salt and chemicals as to harm the plants but is not suitable to drink. But I visit Bangkok 4 or 5 times a year and it worries me about the quality of the water I will shower in, clean my teeth etc.

[Thai at Heart]

Now watch the crisis. If its farmers its one thing. But bangkok tap water? Stop washing cars and drain the swimming pools people.

[bangon04]

"the government has asked farmers to refrain from planting rice since last October."

Do they have any evidence that any significant number of rice farmers has altered their planting? Or is it planting as usual and worry about it if it happens that they have a drought later?

[sammygood]

some nice scare mongering from the plastic bottle industry ?

how come there is 0 backup like a seawater desalination plant

do we need 100 propeller boats to push the water up the river again ?

[casualbiker]

To casual biker.

I had assumed that drinking water was obtained from river systems and then underwent reverse osmosis and filtering. I had assumed that no one drank tap water unless it was treated first. In my village there is plenty of tap water and everybody drinks bottled water. I water my garden from a bore which I am told does not contain so much salt and chemicals as to harm the plants but is not suitable to drink. But I visit Bangkok 4 or 5 times a year and it worries me about the quality of the water I will shower in, clean my teeth etc.

Where do you think tap water comes from?

[phantomfiddler]

Does that mean there may be a shortage of beer

[thaibeachlovers]

To casual biker.

I had assumed that drinking water was obtained from river systems and then underwent reverse osmosis and filtering. I had assumed that no one drank tap water unless it was treated first. In my village there is plenty of tap water and everybody drinks bottled water. I water my garden from a bore which I am told does not contain so much salt and chemicals as to harm the plants but is not suitable to drink. But I visit Bangkok 4 or 5 times a year and it worries me about the quality of the water I will shower in, clean my teeth etc.

You clean your teeth in the tap water? If you have bleeding gums, and use water that has any nasties in it you are asking for an infection.