Dams Refill Quicker Than Expected Thanks to Heavy Rainfall

[webfact]

Dams Refill Quicker Than Expected Thanks to Heavy Rainfall
by CityNews



CityNews – The Chiang Mai Irrigation Office has announced that the water in the dams around the province are re-filling faster than expected thanks to constant rainfall from June.

Despite the drought over the last year, Mae Kuang Dam has more than 15% more water than it did this week last year.

If rainfall maintains for full monsoon season, then water levels will return to normal levels, and water usage for agriculture will return to 100%.

Full story: http://www.chiangmaicitylife.com/news/dams-refill-quicker-expected-thanks-heavy-rainfall/

-- Chiang City News 2016-07-18

[sjjmmi]

floods are coming then

[Hedghog]

Regional effect.

What about the country as a whole?

[terminatorchiangmai]

Still looks very empty too me.

Was at the dam a few days's ago.

If the rain stops now Thailand is in big trouble next year.

[chiang mai]

"If rainfall continues...", if.

To be honest, the way the water has been flowing in the nearby klongs to flood the rice fields that surround me, you'd think that water supply has never been a concern.

[Confuscious]

"If rainfall continues...", if.

To be honest, the way the water has been flowing in the nearby klongs to flood the rice fields that surround me, you'd think that water supply has never been a concern.

The drought and all the other news by "experts" was nothing more than launch a panic situation and see the huge reserve of plastic water tanks.

I have seen the shops refill their reserve every week and seel the water tanks at a big profit.

Lucky for me, I didn't believe any word of this and did not invest in a new (extra) water tank.

Never had a water shortage.

Let nature handle things.

They do it a lot better than the so called "experts".

[taichiplanet]

a summary of the major dams here http://www.thaiwater.net/DATA/REPORT/php/rid_dam_1.php?lang=en

overall dam levels are 46% but some areas are worse off than others

[hansnl]

Dams fill quicker!

Really?

The dams?

Those man made things meant to stop water flowing?

I guess the reservoirs behind the dams are filling up quicker.

[adhd]

great, no need for mumbo jumbo magic airplane spraying brigade anymore ?

[chiang mai]

"If rainfall continues...", if.

To be honest, the way the water has been flowing in the nearby klongs to flood the rice fields that surround me, you'd think that water supply has never been a concern.

The drought and all the other news by "experts" was nothing more than launch a panic situation and see the huge reserve of plastic water tanks.

I have seen the shops refill their reserve every week and seel the water tanks at a big profit.

Lucky for me, I didn't believe any word of this and did not invest in a new (extra) water tank.

Never had a water shortage.

Let nature handle things.

They do it a lot better than the so called "experts".

If you believe that you are deluded, I have seen the water levels at the Mai Ngat reservoir and they were at record lows, that dam feeds the klongs that flow through my land and they were bone dry for at least six weeks.

[bark]

"If rainfall continues...", if.

To be honest, the way the water has been flowing in the nearby klongs to flood the rice fields that surround me, you'd think that water supply has never been a concern.

August and September are the two biggest months for rain. Always the same.

[bazza40]

Dams fill quicker!

Really?

The dams?

Those man made things meant to stop water flowing?

I guess the reservoirs behind the dams are filling up quicker.

This pedantry is something which I will not up with put.

[williamgeorgeallen]

last month i went out and bought a 400L tank (was the biggest that would fit through the bathroom door) this month it has rained almost every day and the local supply has been on more than 12 hours a day. going to take alot of rain to top off the dams in thailand however and i suspect we will be back to water every second day again in the dry season. i might put in another 400L tank if it does. is surprising to see how fast a family of 4 can go through 400L.

[waldroj]

Pleasing news!

But, now the dam engineers are on the horns of a dilemma:

• continue to retain the precious water (and risk possible flooding if heavy falls continue through the rainy season); or,
• release water to mitigate potential flooding (and risk water shortages after the rainy season if rainfall is below predictions).

[chiang mai]

"If rainfall continues...", if.

To be honest, the way the water has been flowing in the nearby klongs to flood the rice fields that surround me, you'd think that water supply has never been a concern.

August and September are the two biggest months for rain. Always the same.

Except last year that is!

[billd766]

Pleasing news!

But, now the dam engineers are on the horns of a dilemma:

• continue to retain the precious water (and risk possible flooding if heavy falls continue through the rainy season); or,
• release water to mitigate potential flooding (and risk water shortages after the rainy season if rainfall is below predictions).

I very much doubt that at all.

Have a look here at the bottom right corner or look for the dam nearest you for the levels.

http://www.thaiwater.net/web/index.php/en.html

[The Deerhunter]

"If rainfall continues...", if.

To be honest, the way the water has been flowing in the nearby klongs to flood the rice fields that surround me, you'd think that water supply has never been a concern.

The drought and all the other news by "experts" was nothing more than launch a panic situation and see the huge reserve of plastic water tanks.

I have seen the shops refill their reserve every week and seel the water tanks at a big profit.

Lucky for me, I didn't believe any word of this and did not invest in a new (extra) water tank.

Never had a water shortage.

Let nature handle things.

They do it a lot better than the so called "experts".

Our shared irrigation pond on the farm went dry for the first time in decades. In fact it went VERY DRY. If we had not had access to an auntie's pond as backup then we would have been in deep doo doo. And we very nearly emptied it too! And both ponds refilled in just one storm about 6 weeks ago and have been overflowing since.

[The Deerhunter]

last month i went out and bought a 400L tank (was the biggest that would fit through the bathroom door) this month it has rained almost every day and the local supply has been on more than 12 hours a day. going to take alot of rain to top off the dams in thailand however and i suspect we will be back to water every second day again in the dry season. i might put in another 400L tank if it does. is surprising to see how fast a family of 4 can go through 400L.

400L is nothing for a family. We have a household well and a 2,000L tank for 3 of us, plus a second 1,000L attached to a second house, supplied from the first one. And we always keep the water box in the bathroom full and it must be nearly 1,000L. Incidentally, by my observation, using water to "shower" from the hand held dishes that Thais use, seems to use more water to wash one's body than running water from a proper shower head.

[CNXBKKMAN]

Pleasing news!

But, now the dam engineers are on the horns of a dilemma:

• continue to retain the precious water (and risk possible flooding if heavy falls continue through the rainy season); or,
• release water to mitigate potential flooding (and risk water shortages after the rainy season if rainfall is below predictions).

All the dams I see are almost empty they have nothing to release. That's after a wet June. To release anything they have to pump out what's left, levels are so low. I did notice yesterday that the resevoir at the 700 year stadium some deep puddles were forming in at the bottom which have been dry for months. Huay Tung Tao lake is creeping up slowly too.

[CNXBKKMAN]

"If rainfall continues...", if.

To be honest, the way the water has been flowing in the nearby klongs to flood the rice fields that surround me, you'd think that water supply has never been a concern.

August and September are the two biggest months for rain. Always the same.

Except last year that is!

And the year before that!

[elgordo38]

floods are coming then

The floods of information are here. I wonder how the rest of the provinces are doing.

[Sparkles]

Well in our part of Hang Dong we were watering the garden yesterday.Last week we were at the roundabout near the Night Safari and the rain was so heavy visibilty was down to about 30 m .Half a km towards the Canal Rd nothing.

With about 10 weeks of the "official" rainy season left it better get a move on or maybe it will extend into Oct/Nov.

I really dont understand why ,during the prolonged dry spell, they did not increase the capacity of some dams.

Yes I know TIT but with dramatic increases in population and business's its pretty obvious they need more storage.

Edited July 18, 2016 by Sparkles

[Anon999]

last month i went out and bought a 400L tank (was the biggest that would fit through the bathroom door) this month it has rained almost every day and the local supply has been on more than 12 hours a day. going to take alot of rain to top off the dams in thailand however and i suspect we will be back to water every second day again in the dry season. i might put in another 400L tank if it does. is surprising to see how fast a family of 4 can go through 400L.

The minimum recommended allowance of water/person/day is 200litres and usage in Bangkok is 220 litres. No idea what it is where I am in Isaan but 200 litres was the amount recommended by the local water authority..

Edited July 18, 2016 by Anon999

[williamgeorgeallen]

last month i went out and bought a 400L tank (was the biggest that would fit through the bathroom door) this month it has rained almost every day and the local supply has been on more than 12 hours a day. going to take alot of rain to top off the dams in thailand however and i suspect we will be back to water every second day again in the dry season. i might put in another 400L tank if it does. is surprising to see how fast a family of 4 can go through 400L.

The minimum recommended allowance of water/person/day is 200litres and usage in Bangkok is 220 litres. No idea what it is where I am in Isaan but 200 litres was the amount recommended by the local water authority..

sounds about right. 400L gets us through a day if the water is off. 2 adults and 2 kids under 5. thats not running the washing machine, we need mains pressure to run that. staggering amount of water for 60 million people. when i left australia they were building coal fired desalinisation plants to keep up with demand. seemed to be a horrible wase of coal and energy.

when i first moved into my girls house i thought the bathroom was oversized but now if necessary we can daisy chain in four of these tanks. not sure it will get that bad to need that however.

[chiang mai]

Two adults, Mae Rim, all in, 6,000 litres a month consistent consumption over the past year - gardens get watered via a separate pump/supply/well and bottled drinking water delivered.

[hansnl]

last month i went out and bought a 400L tank (was the biggest that would fit through the bathroom door) this month it has rained almost every day and the local supply has been on more than 12 hours a day. going to take alot of rain to top off the dams in thailand however and i suspect we will be back to water every second day again in the dry season. i might put in another 400L tank if it does. is surprising to see how fast a family of 4 can go through 400L.

The minimum recommended allowance of water/person/day is 200litres and usage in Bangkok is 220 litres. No idea what it is where I am in Isaan but 200 litres was the amount recommended by the local water authority..

sounds about right. 400L gets us through a day if the water is off. 2 adults and 2 kids under 5. thats not running the washing machine, we need mains pressure to run that. staggering amount of water for 60 million people. when i left australia they were building coal fired desalinisation plants to keep up with demand. seemed to be a horrible wase of coal and energy.

when i first moved into my girls house i thought the bathroom was oversized but now if necessary we can daisy chain in four of these tanks. not sure it will get that bad to need that however.

Desalinisation plants can also run, by day that is, on sunshine.

Of that there is plenty in Thailand.

But thinking ahead is the real problem

[billd766]

last month i went out and bought a 400L tank (was the biggest that would fit through the bathroom door) this month it has rained almost every day and the local supply has been on more than 12 hours a day. going to take alot of rain to top off the dams in thailand however and i suspect we will be back to water every second day again in the dry season. i might put in another 400L tank if it does. is surprising to see how fast a family of 4 can go through 400L.

The minimum recommended allowance of water/person/day is 200litres and usage in Bangkok is 220 litres. No idea what it is where I am in Isaan but 200 litres was the amount recommended by the local water authority..

sounds about right. 400L gets us through a day if the water is off. 2 adults and 2 kids under 5. thats not running the washing machine, we need mains pressure to run that. staggering amount of water for 60 million people. when i left australia they were building coal fired desalinisation plants to keep up with demand. seemed to be a horrible wase of coal and energy.

when i first moved into my girls house i thought the bathroom was oversized but now if necessary we can daisy chain in four of these tanks. not sure it will get that bad to need that however.

How far did they pump the desalinated water in Australia?

Thailand's problem with desalination plants is that the water is needed hundreds of km away from the desalination plants up in the central, north and north east of the country. The pipelines would have to run great distances and require both pumping stations and extra power stations to satisfy the demand.

From what I have read of the coastal waters of Thailand it certainly won't be fit to drink with all the crap and crud that floats around down there.

A couple of links to the possible costs of a desalination plant.

https://www.quora.com/How-much-does-a-water-desalination-plant-cost

There are two ways to think about the cost of desalination: the cost of a desalination plant, and the cost of water.

A typical large scale desalination plant produces 100,000 cubic meters of water per day. Assuming a per capita consumption of 300 liters per day, this equates to 300,000 people. The installed cost of desalination plants is approximately $1m for every 1,000 cubic meters per day of installed capacity. Therefore, a large scale desalination plant serving 300,000 people typically costs in the region of $100 million. The costs of infrastructure to distribute water must be added to this.

The cost of desalinated water, the majority of which is accounted for by plant capital costs and energy costs, is typically in the range of $0.5 to $3 per cubic meter of water (0.05-0.3 dollar cents per liter of water). The lower end of the scale corresponds to regions where electricity costs are low (e.g. Middle East) and the higher end to regions where electricity costs are high (e.g. Australia, where electricity is sometimes mandated to be from renewable energy).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorian_Desalination_Plant

Cost

• The capital cost for the project was initially estimated to be $2.9 billion in the initial feasibility study; this was later revised to $3.1 billion^[26] and then to $3.5 billion. After the winning bidder was announced it was revised to $4 billion.

• Operating costs are to be charged by a private firm over a 25–30 year period and are estimated to be around $1.5 billion. This cost includes labour, replacement of membranes, chemicals costs and energy, and it was initially estimated at $132 million per annum.^[27] Unlike previous water infrastructure works in Melbourne, the plant will be built and operated as a public-private partnership.

A report by the Water Services Association of Australia conducted in 2008, modelling several national water-supply scenarios for 2030, determined that sourcing water supply from seawater desalination was the most energy-intensive. The report predicted that if desalination became the primary source of supplying around 300 litres (66 imp gal; 79 US gal) per person per day, energy usage would rise by 400% above today's levels.^[28]

On 12 December 2009 The Age newspaper published details of considerable areas of land made cheaply available to the plant's developers without the value of such land being included in the project's official costs.^[29]

• The average water bill for residents living in Melbourne is estimated to rise by around 64% over the next 5 years. Water price plans released by the Essential Services Commission illustrate that metropolitan water providers will charge between 87 per cent and 96 per cent more for water. Water Minister Tim Holding, has stated that; "Melbourne residents need to help pay for major water infrastructure projects, such as the desalination plant and the Sugarloaf (North South) pipeline."^[30]
• Comparatively, the Kwinana Desalination Plant in Perth was completed in 2006 and has roughly 30–50% the output of the Wonthaggi plant. It cost $387 million to build and did not include an 85 km (55 mi) pipeline and windfarm.

On completion the plant was immediately placed into standby mode as the reservoirs in Melbourne were over 80% full. However a $1.8 million per day fee is payable to the construction consortium. This minimum fee is payable for a total of 27 years after completion. Even if no water is required the total payment is between $18 and $19 billion.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlsbad_desalination_plant

Water quantity and cost

The plant is expected to produce 50 million US gallons (190,000 m³) of water per day^[29] (0.069 cubic kilometres per annum) with energy use of ~3.6^[30]kWh for 1 m³fresh water, or ~38 MW of average continuous power.^[6][31] Another estimate has the plant requiring 40 MW to operate, and a cost of $49 million to $59 million a year.^[1] It will provide about 7% of the potable water needs for the San Diego region.^[4]

The San Diego County Water Authority signed a contract with the plant operator to purchase a minimum 48,000 acre-feet per year of water, but it can also demand up to a maximum of 56,000 acre-foot per year.^[32][33] This is equivalent to 43 million gallons per day (mgd), or about 86% of the plant's output.

The cost of water from the plant will be $100 to $200 more per acre-foot than recycled water, $1,000 to $1,100 more than reservoir water, but $100 to $200 less than importing water from outside the county.^[34] As of April 2015, San Diego County imports 90% of its water.^[10] A conglomerate of California-based environmentalist groups, the Desal Response Group, claims that the plant will cost San Diego County $108 million a year

Edited July 18, 2016 by billd766

[chiang mai]

Anyone have a current photo they can post of the water levels at Mae Ngat?