How Bad Is This Water Crisis Going To Get?

[Brewster67]

Living here in Korat city, we are going through a bit of a crisis.

We have not had city water for over a week here in my part of town, and we have been told by the water authority that there is no way we will get any more water till the rainy season if we are lucky.

Every day it gets harder trying to get a water truck to deliver, they are just so over-stretched to capacity, and are being quoted 2 weeks at least to get just 1000 litres and many won't even take orders.

Most of the local rservoirs have dropped so low that the water companies are struggling to get access to clear water for consumption and it has got so critical that even when they have it, because of all the tanks refilling at the same time, is causing a huge drop in water pressure and the water is unable to get to the entire system and on a daily basis more and more homes and businesses are going 'off-grid'.

I have been monitoring the situation for a year now because I forecast it all happening this year, I was hassling the Thai wife for at least 6 months to stock up with as much bottled drinking water as possible and increase our tank storage capabilities.... She pushed against it for months, she preferred to listen to her dad who said it was nonsense and that the government knows how to fix it and we can make rain anyway.... laughable.

So now we have reached critical mass and people are driving around the streets in cars and on motorcycles asking where they can get water. Now we have increased capacity for storage and have a decent supply we have found that the locals who stupidly put their faith in the system are now asking us for water.... Of course we are obliging at the moment, but I can't see if we can become the water charity of the street until we are without water ourselves.

Even when the rains come, it could be a long time before we see proper water distribution again because it will take weeks of rain for the ground to stop sucking it up and fast evaporation, we will need to get to the monsoon season proper, and that is a very short season here.... We could even end up starting the next dry season in an even worse shape as we started this season, and that means next year is going to be worse than this year. It could literally take years to fully recover.

We were told by the water authority that much off the city will be without water by the end of April...... Think about that and i9nwardly digest the repurcussions of a disater like that in Thailand's second biggest city. Businesses closing all over the place, many out of work, the economy will nose dive, people with no water everywhere, and this is not just isolated to us.

There are 30 provinces now disaster areas with 11,000 villages and towns marked as requiring 'Immediate emergency assistance'..... Good luck wth that one, they can't even deal with it now and we are just on the doorstep of a natural disaster of epic proportions.

Oh and the farmers have not helped the situation by largely ignoring the requests of the local government not to use water for crops, they planted anyway.... But can you blame them?.... Maybe it should have been more of a ban than a request, and yes I feel for them but they have taken a foolish gamble and their crops will almost certainly all die in the field.

Oh boy... you really get a sense of how much we all take water for granted once you don't have any... EVERY major town in the central and upper Thisland are at critical stage and they are all going to topple like dominos.... If ever there was a test for Prayuth.... This is it.

Edited April 8, 2016 by Brewster67

[kannot]

Anyone coming to Thailand has to realise "no one" is going to help you with anything and learn to do or arrange by planning in advance your own supplies.

I have 2 wells cost 150k for both one 85 metres deep one 55 metres deep supply 4000 litres an hour + an 8 metre deep 1 rai lake

Yes its a total farce in a country that receives HUGE amounts of rainfall...........no planning, no brains ,no hope ,stuck in a retarded serf like system of governance.

[Brewster67]

Anyone coming to Thailand has to realise "no one" is going to help you with anything and learn to do or arrange by planning in advance your own supplies.

I have 2 wells cost 150k for both one 85 metres deep one 55 metres deep supply 4000 litres an hour + an 8 metre deep 1 rai lake

Yes its a total farce in a country that receives HUGE amounts of rainfall...........no planning, no brains ,no hope ,stuck in a retarded serf like system of governance.

If your area starts to fall like mine, You will become the water source for your area if you have wells.

Are you able to refuse them?... Or even more importantly are you able to fend off desperate people?

[KhunBENQ]

What the villagers do: go to the temple, give the monks and hope for relief.

They can afford new motorbikes, pickups but hardly seen any new water tanks or "onks".

The village admin. still manages to get enough water through the pipes.

No idea how they do it.

I see the firefighters tank truck driving down the road obviously filled.

What the village farmers do: bore, bore, bore out in the fields.

Never seen so many new wells with big 2 or 3 inch connection.

They are watering for the next sugar cane season (which I hate!).

Maybe they will ship from there to the houses if all else fails.

We don't use the village water anymore.

We have a 36m deep well since December just for the house supply.

Small thing, 1 inch submersible pump. 27k total.

I fill our 2000l tank in the evening but only to a small part (two day supply).

How bad will it become?

Who knows. I read over and over the status messages about El Nino/El Nina.

A major relief not before mid year and what does it mean thereafter.

Longest and strongest El Nino started in May 2014.

Last coup d'etat was in May 2014.

In a superstitious country like Thailand this could mean something

Yes it's THE test!

Just started the AC and my real nightmare is: widespread power outages due to ever increasing heat.

Edited April 8, 2016 by KhunBENQ

[thaihome]

Anyone coming to Thailand has to realise "no one" is going to help you with anything and learn to do or arrange by planning in advance your own supplies.

I have 2 wells cost 150k for both one 85 metres deep one 55 metres deep supply 4000 litres an hour + an 8 metre deep 1 rai lake

Yes its a total farce in a country that receives HUGE amounts of rainfall...........no planning, no brains ,no hope ,stuck in a retarded serf like system of governance.

You do realize that the current water shortages are primarily due to an El Nino condition that is going into its third year. This has impacted the normal northeastern moonsoon causing significantly lower then normal rainfall in thailand for the past two years. The El Nino arose rather unexpectedly in 2014 so the reservoirs were lowered as usual in anticipation of normal rainfall that did not occur in 2014 and 2015 causing the low reservoir levels that are now causing problems for many.

Data is showing the El Nino is weakening and forecast are the rainy season in the second half of this year should be normal or higher.

Contrary to popular opinion on this site, the water management system in Thailand has been fairly effective in mitigating the impacts, but at this point is there is little that can be done other then promoting water conservation and wait for the rainy season.

TH

[GarryP]

Anyone coming to Thailand has to realise "no one" is going to help you with anything and learn to do or arrange by planning in advance your own supplies.

I have 2 wells cost 150k for both one 85 metres deep one 55 metres deep supply 4000 litres an hour + an 8 metre deep 1 rai lake

Yes its a total farce in a country that receives HUGE amounts of rainfall...........no planning, no brains ,no hope ,stuck in a retarded serf like system of governance.

You do realize that the current water shortages are primarily due to an El Nino condition that is going into its third year. This has impacted the normal northeastern moonsoon causing significantly lower then normal rainfall in thailand for the past two years. The El Nino arose rather unexpectedly in 2014 so the reservoirs were lowered as usual in anticipation of normal rainfall that did not occur in 2014 and 2015 causing the low reservoir levels that are now causing problems for many.

Data is showing the El Nino is weakening and forecast are the rainy season in the second half of this year should be normal or higher.

Contrary to popular opinion on this site, the water management system in Thailand has been fairly effective in mitigating the impacts, but at this point is there is little that can be done other then promoting water conservation and wait for the rainy season.

TH

Thank you. That is good news, at least in so far as we should get the needed amount of rain this year. Just hope it comes sooner rather than later.

[billd766]

There has been no water supply in parts of rural Khampaeng Phet for months now and the 2 fire truck from the tessaban are out 8 hours a day 5 days a week and are having trouble just keeping up. The last delivery we had was over 3 weeks ago.

I have 20 ongs cross connected and 7 as spare for the tanker to pump into. They each hold about 1,500 usable litres and I am now down to the last 6.

Originally my wife and family laughed at the "stupid farang" for having so many ongs, but not anymore.

[Brewster67]

Yesterday when we were transferring water from 2 x 1000 litre tanks on the back of a 3 ton pickup. We were stopped three times by people who wanted to know where to get water from.

We told them we got it from the fire station, the wife just sent me a message that there is a lot of pickups with tanks queuing up at the fire station today.

That is the last chance saloon for this city and that is not going to last much longer. The city could possibly even become largely uninhabitable, god knows how they will be able to function without water.

[Brewster67]

There has been no water supply in parts of rural Khampaeng Phet for months now and the 2 fire truck from the tessaban are out 8 hours a day 5 days a week and are having trouble just keeping up. The last delivery we had was over 3 weeks ago.

I have 20 ongs cross connected and 7 as spare for the tanker to pump into. They each hold about 1,500 usable litres and I am now down to the last 6.

Originally my wife and family laughed at the "stupid farang" for having so many ongs, but not anymore.

Lol.... as far back as 9 months ago I was warning the local farang population via our local facebook community page, and I was mocked and laughed at by some of them as a 'doom monger' and with comments like 'the sky is falling, the sky is falling'..... Now all you get on there is people having water problems.... Now they are not taking the pi$$. So it is not just limited to Thais.

Edited April 8, 2016 by Brewster67

[Eclipse]

No doubt the idiots will be chucking it around next week.

[huahinjoe]

Unfortunately its not just Thailand, its happening in many countries, interesting to see how long the El-Nino effects will last but overall they say this happening for years if not decades, soon the water will cost more then the oil and other stuff. I wonder why they don't invest in desalination projects like Israel did in the past.

http://www.aiche.org/chenected/2015/10/saudi-arabia-creates-new-solar-powered-desalination-technology

[Brewster67]

Unfortunately its not just Thailand, its happening in many countries, interesting to see how long the El-Nino effects will last but overall they say this happening for years if not decades, soon the water will cost more then the oil and other stuff. I wonder why they don't invest in desalination projects like Israel did in the past.

http://www.aiche.org/chenected/2015/10/saudi-arabia-creates-new-solar-powered-desalination-technology

Some have said that future wars will be fought over water and not oil.

[55Jay]

That about sums it up. Normal to maybe better rainfall this year has a major shortfall to make up for before any positive gains are made. Much like California, just that ours only took 2 years to get where we are now.

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[GinBoy2]

That about sums it up. Normal to maybe better rainfall this year has a major shortfall to make up for before any positive gains are made. Much like California, just that ours only took 2 years to get where we are now.

Sent from my GT-I8150 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Funny, I was only thinking about this earlier';

California, 4 years of drought

Australia, 15 years, I believe, of drought

Thailand, 12 months!

Both California & Australia managed the problem, conservation, restrictions were needed and invested in water infrastructure.

I can only comment on California, but even at the end of last year before the rains, I never read reports of "1% of usable water", "less than 11 days of supply" and for sure no one had their water turned off for days at a time.

I would like to think that someone in the illustrious government is actually looking at how some of those darn farangs actually deal with real crisis. Sadly however I fear that nothing will be learned, and 'if' the rains come in June/July, it's back to normal, and this will all be forgotten, and on to much more pressing issues of; taxi's, deckchairs, and red colored bowls!

[technologybytes]

I would like to think that someone in the illustrious government is actually looking at how some of those darn farangs actually deal with real crisis.

I see by this statement that you have only just arrived in Thailand and have yet learn anything about Thai's ;-)

[BritManToo]

As a foreigner you don't have to stay there.

No water, go away for a month or two.

Europe has plenty of water.

Problem solved!

[RichardColeman]

Expect the 'Airport and border crossing tourist water tax' coming soon.

[GinBoy2]

I would like to think that someone in the illustrious government is actually looking at how some of those darn farangs actually deal with real crisis.

I see by this statement that you have only just arrived in Thailand and have yet learn anything about Thai's ;-)

Unfortunately I have been here many many years; it was a rhetorical question, one that I already know the answer!

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

Plan for rain only towards July. Although the El nino is decreasing in strength it can still delay this years rain. After the rain starts you must consider the fact that the run off may be less than normal and that catchment areas will first soak up water before filling dams. We could see very low dam levels even after this rainfall season. We should onle reach normal dam levels next rainfall season. Then plan for floods by 2017/2018. It never rains it pours the saying goes.

[hutchings1963]

jUST REMEMBER A FARANG WHO TRIES TO HELP IS ALWAYS WRONG,JUST DO IT THE THAI WAY,THE ONLY TROUBLE IS IT NEVER WORKS FOR THEM,ALL I GET IS WE DO NOT NEED ADVICE FROM FARANG.

[elgordo38]

Unfortunately its not just Thailand, its happening in many countries, interesting to see how long the El-Nino effects will last but overall they say this happening for years if not decades, soon the water will cost more then the oil and other stuff. I wonder why they don't invest in desalination projects like Israel did in the past.

http://www.aiche.org/chenected/2015/10/saudi-arabia-creates-new-solar-powered-desalination-technology

Investing=spending money does that answer your question. Subs tanks etc first.

[elgordo38]

That about sums it up. Normal to maybe better rainfall this year has a major shortfall to make up for before any positive gains are made. Much like California, just that ours only took 2 years to get where we are now.

Sent from my GT-I8150 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Funny, I was only thinking about this earlier';

California, 4 years of drought

Australia, 15 years, I believe, of drought

Thailand, 12 months!

Both California & Australia managed the problem, conservation, restrictions were needed and invested in water infrastructure.

I can only comment on California, but even at the end of last year before the rains, I never read reports of "1% of usable water", "less than 11 days of supply" and for sure no one had their water turned off for days at a time.

I would like to think that someone in the illustrious government is actually looking at how some of those darn farangs actually deal with real crisis. Sadly however I fear that nothing will be learned, and 'if' the rains come in June/July, it's back to normal, and this will all be forgotten, and on to much more pressing issues of; taxi's, deckchairs, and red colored bowls!

Farang ideas no good. Trust in amulets. Cloud seeding do um big rain dance.

[HenryB]

Maybe it is time to learn what Israel is doing in the of getting water from the sea.

[Brewster67]

As a foreigner you don't have to stay there.

No water, go away for a month or two.

Europe has plenty of water.

Problem solved!

I am not thinking about me... I am thinking about the whole picture including Thais and cities that become totally dry? I know I can just bugger off, but we have a house here, a car here, a business here and family here.

Nice that you have such a simple life you only have yourself to worry about.

[Brewster67]

Plan for rain only towards July. Although the El nino is decreasing in strength it can still delay this years rain. After the rain starts you must consider the fact that the run off may be less than normal and that catchment areas will first soak up water before filling dams. We could see very low dam levels even after this rainfall season. We should onle reach normal dam levels next rainfall season. Then plan for floods by 2017/2018. It never rains it pours the saying goes.

Yes I touched on that.

People seem to think all we need to do is get to the rainy season and all is back to business as usual.

It don't work like that as you correctly pointed out. Water tables will be dropping and that bground water wll need to all be replaced before you see much at the dam faces. It will also evaporate fast when it hits the rock hard ground.

The when we start getting a bit of wtaer, the water companies are going to suck it all up to try and get it to where people have not had any for possibly months.

Also the desperate farmers are going to take as much as they can. Ilegally or not.

By the time we start to see water coming out of the taps, the rainy season might be halfway over.

Last rainy season we managed to get the big local reservoir up to 42% and look at the mess we are in...... This year we may end up with a lot less than that by the time the next dry season starts..... ad so we are caught in a cycle of not enough water stocks and water running out all over the place.

It could well take years to recover, and won't get out of this bad cycle until we have a rainy season that breaks records.

[freedom4life]

Only as bad as you think it is...

[55Jay]

True. We can bug out but leave my wife's 84 yo mum and sister to take care. No, we'll stay. In for a penny in for a pound. Stiff upper lip lads, our finest hour in the face of adversity. Et al.e

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[Stevemercer]

We are near Mahasarakham and so far the town water reticulated network has held up. We put in an additional 5 inch bore to 60 metre for 25,000 Baht including the submerged pump (50 litres per minute). I hope the water table holds up. So far nobody else much seems to be using bore water which is good quality in our area.

Part of the problem for central Thailand and Bangkok is that the government changed the water rules for the dams following the 2011 floods (where there was criticism that the dams were maintained too high and could not absorb the flood waters). In subsequent years the dams were managed to keep the water levels closer to 60% (rather than 90%) so as to retain capacity if there were floods. Of course, this backfired when we started going into drought in 2015.

The usual trend in a prolonged drought (3 years plus) is for the surface water to go by the end of the second year. The government (and those who can afford it) put in bores which are sustainable for another 2 years before the water table drops and they become unreliable. Five years of drought would permanently bugger most dryland cropping in Isan and cause huge rural dislocation and social problems for Thailand. But I reckon we will get some decent rain this wet season (or the 2017 wet season as the last chance). 3 or 4 years of drought would be unprecedented in Thailand.

Bangkok's problems can easily be solved by a desalination plant, if needed, although there is at least an 18 month construction period.

[peterrabbit]

What are the government going to do when, like the 1930's dustbowl in America, you could have millions of Thais relocating south in search of water and employment? It has the potential to be a disaster of epic proportions if the rains don't come! It could easily be as big as the migrant crisis in Europe or even bigger.

[swissbie]

What are the government going to do when, like the 1930's dustbowl in America, you could have millions of Thais relocating south in search of water and employment? It has the potential to be a disaster of epic proportions if the rains don't come! It could easily be as big as the migrant crisis in Europe or even bigger.

Bull shit. After the big floods it was discussed about removing the capital to the northeast, now you're talking about millions relocating to the south. Panicing has never been a good solution. OP, i completely agree with your statement, except about the epic dimensions. Droughts in the northeast had happened since ever. But yes, there are more and more people, more industries, more farmland, more wastement. Try to store some water hidden, as people do with personal fridges..