Water experts - Some advice please

[scorecard]

I'm guessing we have some TV members living in Chiang Mai who have knowledge / experience regarding larger scale water management.

There have been many reports in the media about serious drought in Thailand in 2016. But my guess is that the possible severity of the drought is different by regions etc.

My question, and hopefully there are some answers from the experts which are of value to many of us living in CM:

- Is the city area of CM high or low on the drought scale?

Some background, my Thai son already has 2 x 1,500 litre upright plastic water tanks at his house (Don Chan area), fairly big house 4 bathrooms, all used plus a garden about 12 m X 12 m with numerous fruit tress, lawn etc. He's quite concerned about having enough water, more to do with family being able to shower etc, wash clothes etc. He's talking about installing 2 more 1,500 upright plastic tanks and he's asking me if it's a good idea. The truth is I don't know.

Water experts - would you please share some comments.

Thanks.

[LivinLOS]

I am no expert but I do look at the dams, which are running at a fraction of capacity and were told to keep allowing water flows out to assist bangkok in its water processing plants.

Current dam levels I read at around 20% where last year they were just under 40% and last year we nearly ran out. I strongly suspect 2016 is going to be a year with significant water problems. Water trucks to do good business etc.

My fall back plan is having a swimming pool.. Makes for a emergency store.

[cyberfarang]

I never take anything for granted in Thailand. Always be prepared for the unexpected. Buy the plastic type dustbin water containers, we have 10 filled with water spread around the house. If the water is cut off I have estimated that what we have stored in the bins could last up to 2 weeks if we`re careful.

[scorecard]

I never take anything for granted in Thailand. Always be prepared for the unexpected. Buy the plastic type dustbin water containers, we have 10 filled with water spread around the house. If the water is cut off I have estimated that what we have stored in the bins could last up to 2 weeks if we`re careful.

Thanks for the responses so far, all good input.

My main question is the bigger picture, is CM city because of geography, topography, past rainfall patterns etc., high or low on the 'drought severity list' for all of Thailand?

[cyberfarang]

I never take anything for granted in Thailand. Always be prepared for the unexpected. Buy the plastic type dustbin water containers, we have 10 filled with water spread around the house. If the water is cut off I have estimated that what we have stored in the bins could last up to 2 weeks if we`re careful.

Thanks for the responses so far, all good input.

My main question is the bigger picture, is CM city because of geography, topography, past rainfall patterns etc., high or low on the 'drought severity list' for all of Thailand?

I have read that if there is a severe drought in Chiang Mai they will cut off water to the farmers first on an industrial level and give domestic users priority. I wouldn`t want to bank on that being fact. The water supplies could suddenly stop without notice for any amount of time. The bigger picture it`s easy to judge for yourself. There was a massive lack of rainfall last year and the cool season has hardly happened. I am very worried that from March to June could be the hottest on record according to the international reports I have read regarding el nino conditions and why I am preparing now just in case.

[cmsally]

Mostly depends whether you have mains water or your own water.

I wouldn't want to depend on the mains water. If the dams dry up I guess that is it.

Next year is going to be seriously hot and dry for sure.

Personally I would make sure golf courses and swimming pools go first but not sure it will happen that way.

[sappersrest]

There are numerous commercial wells around that have there own water treatment plants owned by the water authority, not sure in the inner city area though. If these can cross feed the system there should not be to much of a problem. However we may find that water pressure is reduced, as it is shared around I live in the Sansai area just off the 118 and our pressure is over 3 bar, so there is plenty of scope to drop the pressure by half.

The fun and games will start when they realign the pipes from the water works by Tescos on the superhighway, when the new bridge is built and the road widened.

I was talking to some one who has lived here for 25 years and has not had an interrupted supply due to drought.

I have in fact put down a concrete base to put a tank on just in case .

[MESmith]

Anyone who doesn't plan for municipal water supply to dry up without notice, is a fool. The more storage the better. Personally, I'm off grid, with my own bore hole. Not sure when that will dry up, as rice farmers pump groundwater 24/7 to flood rice paddy. No one near me seems interested to grow something less water hungry. A few km away, similar rice paddy is used to grow corn & tobacco as cash crops.

[kaptainrob]

Adequate water management, on a large scale, doesn't exist. At a local level it seems wasteful as irrigation water was flowing all last week and now the surrounding paddy's are flooded and being planted. That's dam water, and excess runs past our house and out to the almost dry Ping.

Our household supply comes from the mooban's artesian well and like the dams, underground reserves must be dropping to very low levels.

El nino may have peaked but Thailand's drought will persist well into mid year.

[MESmith]

In the real world, there would already be hose pipe bans, car washing bans & ban on flooding rice fields when there is a surplus of stored rice. One day, everybody will turn on the tap & "mai mee". Zero forward planning....

[cmsally]

Logically there will be measures put in place, studies done and maybe an Israeli irrigation expert called in.

However realistically I can see there being a certain monk or temple that will be good at rain predictions and water divining.

Just in the last week a number of people have mentioned how many monks did a New year blessing in a huge number of places etc etc. so therefore how good next year will be. I can see good bits in Buddhism but sometimes you do have to wonder.

Thais really are the eternal optimists.

[Johpa]

There are numerous commercial wells around that have there own water treatment plants owned by the water authority, not sure in the inner city area though .

I own a home in the mountains above Mae Rim and most of the village shallow wells are dry. We have a commercial water plant, privately owned, that has sucked up most of the deep waster and so now our "municipal" water supply is now only available two hours each day. And from

what I am hearing from the employees, the commercial plant is now having to take extra measures to filter what is remaining of the deep ground water. I think this is a harbinger of things to come in this region and no amount of water buckets will provide a long term solution.

[sappersrest]

A bit of bed time reading this study was done about 18 years ago it is in English will have a good read of it tonight.

https://www.bgr.bund.de/EN/Themen/Wasser/Projekte/abgeschlossen/TZ/Thailand/thailand_fb_01_pdf.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=2

[Donnyboy]

Anyone who doesn't plan for municipal water supply to dry up without notice, is a fool. The more storage the better. Personally, I'm off grid, with my own bore hole. Not sure when that will dry up, as rice farmers pump groundwater 24/7 to flood rice paddy. No one near me seems interested to grow something less water hungry. A few km away, similar rice paddy is used to grow corn & tobacco as cash crops.

how do you plan for the dry if you live in a condo?

[LivinLOS]

I never take anything for granted in Thailand. Always be prepared for the unexpected. Buy the plastic type dustbin water containers, we have 10 filled with water spread around the house. If the water is cut off I have estimated that what we have stored in the bins could last up to 2 weeks if we`re careful.

Lovely decor !!

[MESmith]

Anyone who doesn't plan for municipal water supply to dry up without notice, is a fool. The more storage the better. Personally, I'm off grid, with my own bore hole. Not sure when that will dry up, as rice farmers pump groundwater 24/7 to flood rice paddy. No one near me seems interested to grow something less water hungry. A few km away, similar rice paddy is used to grow corn & tobacco as cash crops.

how do you plan for the dry if you live in a condo?

Buy a few of the large plastic bins & fill them with water. They'll last you a few days until, hopefully, water supply is resumed. Don't expect a continuous supply. I reckon water will be intermittent.

[cyberfarang]

I never take anything for granted in Thailand. Always be prepared for the unexpected. Buy the plastic type dustbin water containers, we have 10 filled with water spread around the house. If the water is cut off I have estimated that what we have stored in the bins could last up to 2 weeks if we`re careful.

Lovely decor !!

Why you`re worrying about your decor, I`ll worry about finding a means of having available water.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

I never take anything for granted in Thailand. Always be prepared for the unexpected. Buy the plastic type dustbin water containers, we have 10 filled with water spread around the house. If the water is cut off I have estimated that what we have stored in the bins could last up to 2 weeks if we`re careful.

Thanks for the responses so far, all good input.

My main question is the bigger picture, is CM city because of geography, topography, past rainfall patterns etc., high or low on the 'drought severity list' for all of Thailand?

Pretty low; it's a big valley. And the new water gates that are basically shut right now on the river means water will remain in the reservoirs.

So: yes I think there will be drought this year, but I also think it will impact farming mostly, not necessarily the city water supply.

Johpa is up in the hills so I can definitely see it being a problem in specific areas, but I think the town will be okay..

It would suck to run out of water just as Songkran gets going.. :/

[naboo]

The whole of Muang Lamphun municipal supply is currently off and the water authority say they don't know when it will come back on... No warning.

[Dante99]

Anyone who doesn't plan for municipal water supply to dry up without notice, is a fool. The more storage the better. Personally, I'm off grid, with my own bore hole. Not sure when that will dry up, as rice farmers pump groundwater 24/7 to flood rice paddy. No one near me seems interested to grow something less water hungry. A few km away, similar rice paddy is used to grow corn & tobacco as cash crops.

how do you plan for the dry if you live in a condo?

Plan to move.

[cyberfarang]

The whole of Muang Lamphun municipal supply is currently off and the water authority say they don't know when it will come back on... No warning.

Where did you hear that?

[naboo]

The whole of Muang Lamphun municipal supply is currently off and the water authority say they don't know when it will come back on... No warning.

Where did you hear that?

I live there, also reported on the Facebook pages of cmprice.com and Ha Lamphun. Comments of it being out as far north as Pa Sao, about 9km north of the city. Came on again about 10 minutes ago where I am, very low pressure, tanks filling, funds signed off for wife to purchase storage tank and pump tomorrow.

[sappersrest]

The PWA lists planned outages on their website , Interesting website , wish I could read Thai though even though it has English pages.

http://www.pwa.co.th

[cmsally]

The whole of Muang Lamphun municipal supply is currently off and the water authority say they don't know when it will come back on... No warning.

South of those big water gates in PaDaet there is sod all water in the Ping River. I wouldn't be a happy bunny if I was in need of a shower in Lamphun. Really depressing sight.

[worgeordie]

I am sure the Government and the PWA ,already has plans in place for

when the water runs out ,they have only had nearly 3 years of

below normal rainfall,to realise there is going to be a crisis !, seems

like the rain that was supposed to have fallen here in the last rainy

season,moved to America and the UK,where there is severe flooding.

Just in case,I have the tank full and the pump was serviced.

regards worgeordie

[cyberfarang]

The whole of Muang Lamphun municipal supply is currently off and the water authority say they don't know when it will come back on... No warning.

Where did you hear that?

I live there, also reported on the Facebook pages of cmprice.com and Ha Lamphun. Comments of it being out as far north as Pa Sao, about 9km north of the city. Came on again about 10 minutes ago where I am, very low pressure, tanks filling, funds signed off for wife to purchase storage tank and pump tomorrow.

Hope this isn`t an indication of worse to come.

[kaptainrob]

The whole of Muang Lamphun municipal supply is currently off and the water authority say they don't know when it will come back on... No warning.

South of those big water gates in PaDaet there is sod all water in the Ping River. I wouldn't be a happy bunny if I was in need of a shower in Lamphun. Really depressing sight.

One could cross the Ping there without getting wet. The waste-water outflow just south of the Wat (adjacent a talad) is not something I'd want to have flowing into any reservoir. It is always black and foamy, obvious industrial waste.

I wonder if Lamphun has bored deeper wells to maintain town supply? THAT would be a worry and precursor of things to come. Let us know Naboo, if you find out eh?

[naboo]

I had thought that the Lamphun supply came from the Mae Kuang, not the Mae Ping. river through Lamphun is the Kuang, the Ping is several km west and the two meet near Pa Sang further south.

From what I have read (my understanding is not clear, its all Thai and I don't understand àll the detail) the problem yesterday was with the Mae Ngat dam . I have no idea why that would affect Lamphun and not Chiang Mai, but it does suggest that Lamphun water comes from the Ping.

Pressure is very low today.

[CNXBKKMAN]

I cycled out to Mae Kuang dam in 2014 for the first time and was surprised out how low it was. The level got even lower last year. There is no guarantee that once we reach the end of May and June it will start raining. Last year it hardly rained in June and was it was hotter than normal. This years rainy season may be as dry as last years.

We may be in for a "hot" hot season. Many days hitting 40'c and above. Thick smoke pollution. The waters off and you can't take a shower. That will be fun! I won't mention subsidence as all the ground water is depleted by the pumps.

One positive, if the drought persists into this years rainy season it will prompt a big investment in new dams and water management. It will force the government to take action. 5 or 10 years later region may be drought proof.

[sappersrest]

Looks like one of my more sensible theories has been disproved a place in the same municipality has had no towns water for a day or two ,another area not so far away has had reduced pressure. so it looks like water mains are unable to cross feed each other , at least not in the Sanameng area.