Charges for Underground Water

[sinom]

I believe there is to start to be charges for using underground water. Guidelines are not yet clear but for well sizes greater than 100mm a water meter must be installed. (I think?)

Anybody else heard of this?

What is the meter rate for underground water, surely not the same as city water ?

[stoneyboy]

With the current people in charge this sounds very feasible,although you don't back up your post with any links etc.

It's sure to bring much happiness to the already struggling people if it does go ahead that much is certain.

Maybe we should wait until we have some concrete evidence of these proposals ?

[sinom]

Copy of letter received attached.

Need to get a good translation to fully understand the clauses, hence my uncertainty at the moment. Just wondering if anyone else has had this. ?

Water.pdf

[KarenBravo]

Is there a typo in the OP? 100mm, or 100m?

I have a six inch, 61m bore.

We have to fill in a usage form (from the meter) every month for the government department, but, we don't get charged for the water.

I think as long as you are using it for a residence, rather than a business, then no charges,

[stoneyboy]

Copy of letter received attached.

Need to get a good translation to fully understand the clauses, hence my uncertainty at the moment. Just wondering if anyone else has had this. ?

Thanks for sharing that at least it gives others maybe a first glance of things to come who haven't had the letter already.

Also where are you living,are you in a heavily drought hit area,mainly farming community etc.

Little things like that may receive more response.

Either way if it's what you think it is I can't imagine it's going to be well received by the locals.

Edited May 4, 2016 by stoneyboy

[sinom]

I believe the letter states bore sizes larger than 100mm (4 inch) must have a meter installed. Maybe you are correct and they just want to monitor usage, without charge. I am in Pattaya and the local reservoirs are still quite full.

[sinom]

P.s. Letter issued by Chonburi water.

[questionsreplies]

how do they know?

[stoneyboy]

how do they know?

As in how do they know you have a well or bore hole ?

Good question.

How do they know ?

[KarenBravo]

When you hire someone to drill a deep-bore well, the driller gets all the necessary permits and sorts out all the paper-work.

That's how they know.

[stoneyboy]

When you hire someone to drill a deep-bore well, the driller gets all the necessary permits and sorts out all the paper-work.

That's how they know.

Thanks for the clarification,so is there any update on this,has any one deciphered the letter.

What's the reason for this ?

It's going to go down like a lead balloon isn't it ?

[cornishcarlos]

We had to apply for our own permit in NST...

Told that they might require a meter to be installed at a later date ?

[Naam]

When you hire someone to drill a deep-bore well, the driller gets all the necessary permits and sorts out all the paper-work.

That's how they know.

most drillers don't

[CGW]

When you hire someone to drill a deep-bore well, the driller gets all the necessary permits and sorts out all the paper-work.

That's how they know.

most drillers don't

True! I know for a fact mine didn't when I had a well drilled in Pattaya, believe the cost for paperwork, permit is ~20k, that's why they don't register!

[KarenBravo]

Seems I got lucky.

[sinom]

Been up to the Environmental Agency office in Chonburi.

We had a permit to drill when we opened the well some 12 years ago. We also have a contract to extract water from the ground at a maximum of 30'cubic metres per month. I didn't know we had these but they were held with the Agency. The permit expired after ten years. We therefore have to get a new permit. Currently we are taking water without a permit and maybe fined up to 5K baht.

We have to install a water meter and then record daily / monthly totals on forms provided by the Agency. We need to take a picture of the meter reading each month and email it to them. They will send us a bill every quarter. The billing rate is 3.5 baht / unit. (need to check what a "unit" is). They will come to inspect the meter installation to ensure we do not cheat. i.e. install a bypass. They said there will be no back-charge for the last 12 years as the new ruling has just come in this year !

If we lived in a rural area that didn't have city water available there would be no charge - this does not apply to us.

I guess a lot of contractors did not follow the procedure and there are therefore a lot of wells in existence that are effectively illegal.

This has now become more of a focus in the Chonburi region due to National water shortages. Chonburi is not declared an "at risk" area but in a meeting the agency held on 23 Feb. 2016 they have decided the situation has gone un-checked for too long and decided they need to monitor regional water usage to mitigate against future issues.

thats all folks !

Edited May 13, 2016 by sinom

[willyumiii]

Is there a typo in the OP? 100mm, or 100m?

I have a six inch, 61m bore.

We have to fill in a usage form (from the meter) every month for the government department, but, we don't get charged for the water.

I think as long as you are using it for a residence, rather than a business, then no charges,

That sounds reasonable to me.

Use of huge amounts of ground water will deplete the water table and it never recovers.

Ground water is a limited resource and should not be abused, but used reasonably.

A national water reclamation project where flood waters in the rainy season are retained in reservoirs for use during the drought season is a much more practical solution to Thailand's water problems.

[bankruatsteve]

"never recovers" "limited resource" ??? I really doubt those are situations that will take place in Thailand. I have no doubts about climate change but underground water tables in Thailand are not going to change much more than they have been for a long time.

[cornishcarlos]

When you hire someone to drill a deep-bore well, the driller gets all the necessary permits and sorts out all the paper-work.

That's how they know.

most drillers don't

True! I know for a fact mine didn't when I had a well drilled in Pattaya, believe the cost for paperwork, permit is ~20k, that's why they don't register!

500 baht for the permit..

[kannot]

I got two wells both 4 inch no ones ever come, here doubt the contractor did anything to notify anyone as he only planned to drill one but the supply wasnt enough so had to drill another to get required flow rate, they are hidden inside houses so cannot be seen. No village water now for 11 days and the new super dam they built to supply round hereis scrap......see my other thread abut corruption and water.

[KarenBravo]

It's a 20,000 Bt fine if you are caught.

[Naam]

It's a 20,000 Bt fine if you are caught.

only unreasonable people are fined that high