4,000 artesian wells will be ready by April to ease water shortage problem



BANGKOK: -- Authorities concerned have stepped up the dredging of artesian wells hoping to dredge up to 4,000 wells within next month so there will be water for consumption and farming purpose to ease water shortage problem, said government spokesman Maj-Gen Sansern Kaewkamnerd Monday.

He disclosed that, so far, 2,192 artesian wells have been dredged – 1,104 wells for consumption and the rest for agricultural purpose.

As far as artificial rain-making is concerned, the spokesman admitted that the effort has not been very successful due to the low humidity in the air although the effort has been stepped up.

He disclosed that during February 15-March 3, the Royal Artificial Rain-making and Agricultural Aviation Department operated altogether 12 cloud-seeding flights covering 55.6 percent of six central provinces resulting to some rains in parts of Chanthaburi and Nakhon Ratchasima provinces.

Another rain-making unit is to open on March 15 in Surat Thani province.

For rain-making effort to be effective, he said there must be at least 60 percent of humidity in the air.

Meanwhile Interior Minister Anupong Paochinda said that necessary steps had been put in place to deal with water shortage problem both for consumption and agriculture.

He however urged Bangkokians to use water sparingly and to be aware that there are many people in the rural areas who do not have water for consumption and for farming.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/153969

-- Thai PBS 2016-03-08

I didn't think you can dredge an artesian well, I thought it had to be drilled since the water is under pressure? Maybe I'm wrong but it seems strange.

I didn't think you can dredge an artesian well, I thought it had to be drilled since the water is under pressure? Maybe I'm wrong but it seems strange.

Yep.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artesian_aquifer

I grew up about 5 miles from this one & it wasn't dredged. It wasn't even drilled.

I think what they are calling artesian wells is really just ground water collection areas that have dried up and are now being dredged deeper.

Totally misused english word by the Thai media.

I think what they are calling artesian wells is really just ground water collection areas that have dried up and are now being dredged deeper.

No it is not. The trouble is that the Government spokesman and the reporter incorrectly stated that they would dredge the artesian wells. In fact Suphot Tovichakchaikul, secretary of the National Water Board stated at the meeting with the PM that they will be drilling 6,000 artesian wells, 1,250 have already been completed, 4,300 are in the process of being drilled.

I thought this was banned because they found it was the main reason bangkok was sinking.

Rainmaking efforts will resume when the rainy season begins. Plenty of moisture then.

We may soon be seeing some more road damage and sink holes very soon.

40 thousand Artesian wells will be dug by April.

Well that ok then,problem solved.

I thought this was banned because they found it was the main reason bangkok was sinking.

We may soon be seeing some more road damage and sink holes very soon.

A lot depends on where the boreholes are being dug as to whether it affects Bangkok or damages the roads.

There is water down there.

My pond dried up a couple of months ago and I decided it wa a good time to have it dug deeper before rainy seasons start again.

I had the depth increased by two meters.

Within a week of ground water seeping in, it was one meter deep and holding there.for a month now.

The wife's farm dam water level is down low but after pumping out water for 5 hours we leave it for 2 days and water comes back to roughly the same spot. Watering the corn has become a pain in the asp! The one water hole in the klong is finished so we have gone to plan "B".....another water hole!

This the water level we started with.

The corn has grown another 12 - 15 cms since this pix.

Edited March 9, 201610 yr by BSJ

Do you sell the corn? Has it worked out pretty well? Is it sweet corn (for humans to eat) or feed corn (for animals to eat)?

Just curious

Argh, my well went dry last night, in December water was at 7 metres, now there's nothing until 16 metres, way beyond my pump depth - nearby farmer has a pump running 24/7 to protect his rice crop, looks like 25 metres and a jet pump for me later in the year, ouch, expensive.

Up here in rural Khampaeng Phet the klong ran dry a while ago.

A couple of days ago they came along with a makro on one side of the bridge and dug the silt out. Now there is some water so the water table is fairly close to the surface but if somebody uses it I have no idea how long it will take to refill.

Was just wondering how those extra 4,000 artesian wells are coming along, has anyone seen even a single on in their area in the North?

...just in time for the start of the Rain Season. Bravo!!!

Do you sell the corn? Has it worked out pretty well? Is it sweet corn (for humans to eat) or feed corn (for animals to eat)?

Just curious

Oh Dear God not you as well. Nan Province has already been denuded of it's forests by idiots cutting everything down to clear the land for bloody corn. Do something ecologically useful ..

I thought this was banned because they found it was the main reason bangkok was sinking.

AFAIK they are not being cleared/dredged/dug in the Bangkok area but in rural Thailand where they really need water.

I didn't think you can dredge an artesian well, I thought it had to be drilled since the water is under pressure? Maybe I'm wrong but it seems strange.

Drilled it is,probably very poor reporting / knowledge in Thai and even worse translation.

Argh, my well went dry last night, in December water was at 7 metres, now there's nothing until 16 metres, way beyond my pump depth - nearby farmer has a pump running 24/7 to protect his rice crop, looks like 25 metres and a jet pump for me later in the year, ouch, expensive.

If your well is deep enough already, I wouldn't think a small "jet" pump would break the bank. It doesn't need to be oversized, just sufficient to supply immediate needs.

I didn't think you can dredge an artesian well, I thought it had to be drilled since the water is under pressure? Maybe I'm wrong but it seems strange.

Yep.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artesian_aquifer

An artesian aquifer if tapped doesn't always reach ground level, depends on the well location and aquifer pressure.