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Samui suffering severe water shortage, say officials


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Posted
Just now, cumgranosalum said:

...and where does the ware in the wells come from?

 

I guess you mean water?.. come from... certainly not from the reservoirs.... but in the the hills and water tables flowing underground ..

 

As said it's not been a reported problem, till now.

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Posted (edited)
14 minutes ago, samuijimmy said:

 

I guess you mean water?.. come from... certainly not from the reservoirs.... but in the the hills and water tables flowing underground ..

 

As said it's not been a reported problem, till now.

Water tables in islands are very important - repeated drilling of wells eventually can lead to all sorts of problems - the water doesn't eve necessarily come from current rain - it may be underground for centuries.

the loss of underground water can lead to subsidence or over use can result in salination. Many growers on Samui may use well water for irrigation, this would destroy a lot of local farms.

This is the problem with Samui, no-one has done any research into the water supplies there , how much there is and how much extraction it ca maintain. Yet another example of lack of forethought by the authorities.

 

apparetly there have been reports of brackish water in the island aquifers too.

Edited by cumgranosalum
Posted
1 hour ago, williamgeorgeallen said:

water is more important than oil. should be charging more for it.

Have you seen the price of bottled water? its about 10 x the price of crude oil!

Posted
3 minutes ago, cumgranosalum said:

Water tables in islands are very important - repeated drilling of wells eventually can lead to all sorts of problems - the water doesn't eve necessarily come from current rain - it may be underground for centuries.

the loss of underground water can lead to subsidence or over use can result in salination. Many growers on Samui may use well water for irrigation, this would destroy a lot of local farms.

This is the problem with Samui, no-one has done any research into the water supplies there , how much there is and how much extraction it ca maintain. Yet another example of lack of forethought by the authorities.

You think too Much! live for today!  :rolleyes:

Posted
1 hour ago, samuibeachcomber said:

 

last time i drove around talign nam more resorts and private dwelling was going up.

And i would'nt mind betting, not one rain gutter, or water storage tank among the lot of them. All the rainwater just runs into the ground and out to sea. I have a home in Queensland with rainwater gutters and adequate water tanks, have no town water, but never run out of water in 30 years .

Posted
5 minutes ago, CGW said:

Have you seen the price of bottled water? its about 10 x the price of crude oil!

need to stick to the cheaper brands. thats another thing, the price crude oil productsl needs to be increased to reflect its true cost as well. 

Posted

From what I've read, desalination is a massively expensive, high energy process............

 

There are or were plans to introduce an underground dam to try and preserve the aquifer for use in the dry season - exactly how much it would supply in relation to projected needs, i don't know - i'm not sure if it has even been started.

the trouble with any dam is the knock-on effects of storing large amounts of water and changing the environment

Posted

"Factories in desperate need of fresh water will be looking to use processed sea water to avoid losses."

 

Factories are going to turn sea water into fresh water? Really? How would this be economical enough to avoid losses?

Posted
1 hour ago, samuibeachcomber said:

 

10 years ago everything was very different....less traffic,less expats living and working on Samui and infrastructure has not kept pace.

It's basically a ruined island for those of long standing..for those who have just arrived they would n't know any different.Apart from the lack of water...the refuse is the main problem.Every year,sometimes on a daily basis electricity is cut for hours,leaving no power or water.I can remember 1 year being without power for 3 days.

I am no longer living there and where i do live power and water just are n't an issue.......plenty of everything,good roads,friendly locals and a good immigration office...no more BS from Nathon office/mae nam office....everything above board.

 

So, you aren't living in Thailand any more. Where are you living right now?  

Posted
23 minutes ago, CGW said:

Have you seen the price of bottled water? its about 10 x the price of crude oil!

 

A bottle of water (Nestle) is even more expensive than a liter of E85 (petrol)...

Posted
24 minutes ago, williamgeorgeallen said:

need to stick to the cheaper brands. thats another thing, the price crude oil productsl needs to be increased to reflect its true cost as well. 

You convinced me that oil "products" prices need to be increased :shock1: Maybe having worked in the "Oilfields for the past 40 years is an influence? :rolleyes:

Unconvinced about buying "cheap" bottled water, it's crap, at least buy natural source water if you are going to drink it.

Posted
11 minutes ago, FredNL said:

 

A bottle of water (Nestle) is even more expensive than a liter of E85 (petrol)...

Really!  :shock1:

Posted
9 minutes ago, CGW said:

You convinced me that oil "products" prices need to be increased :shock1: Maybe having worked in the "Oilfields for the past 40 years is an influence? :rolleyes:

Unconvinced about buying "cheap" bottled water, it's crap, at least buy natural source water if you are going to drink it.

Bottled water is incredibly un-eco-friendly regardless of the content, it is packaged in a product of the oil industry that is very difficult to dispose of.

Posted
11 minutes ago, cumgranosalum said:

Bottled water is incredibly un-eco-friendly regardless of the content, it is packaged in a product of the oil industry that is very difficult to dispose of.

Yes it is, what alternative do you propose?

Posted

Was told it haven't rain for 4months in Samui.. im not an expert but i read even in Singapore if no rain in 4months will result in water shortage.

Posted
6 minutes ago, CGW said:

Yes it is, what alternative do you propose?

 

One can use the 20 litre containers that are delivered weekly or as needed... One hundred baht deposit on bottle, usually 15 baht for water. 

Very eco friendly!

Posted

This Island is falling apart. Piles of rubbish, power cuts and now water shortages. What is it with the people running this place?

Posted
15 minutes ago, CGW said:

Yes it is, what alternative do you propose?

In many countries, bottled water is a rarity. Mains water is drinkable. and in other countries water is delivered in large containers.

 

The situation in Thailand and on Samui is quite deplorable as the infrastructure simply doesn't exist to transport water cheaply - it is much cheaper to transport it by pipes rather than by road. this would result in savings in many areas 0 e.g. transport/road use and use of plastics.

 

As i pointed out earlier there is very little forethought given or Samui or anywhere else in Thailand to how water is supplied and the systems in use are unbelievably wasteful...over 30%.

if these problems are addressed water shortages would be reduced, water quality would increase, use of plastic bottles would decline and the overall environment would be improved.

Posted
7 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

This Island is falling apart. Piles of rubbish, power cuts and now water shortages. What is it with the people running this place?

 

Slightly overstated!  I see you live in Pattaya which has a pretty bad reputation way worse than Samui

 

We are just getting Samui bashers here as usually... it it continues, we'll just close the topic if people don't have some sensible stuff to say.

Posted
11 minutes ago, samuijimmy said:

 

One can use the 20 litre containers that are delivered weekly or as needed... One hundred baht deposit on bottle, usually 15 baht for water. 

Very eco friendly!

not eco-friendly, just less damaging than plastic bottles as there is a desire to use over a longer period but still have to be processed packed and delivered by road.

Posted (edited)
9 minutes ago, samuijimmy said:

 

Slightly overstated!  I see you live in Pattaya which has a pretty bad reputation way worse than Samui

 

We are just getting Samui bashers here as usually... it it continues, we'll just close the topic if people don't have some sensible stuff to say.

We do not have water shortages at the moment and generally most things run well, my trash gets collected daily. I have seen Samui in the news negatively on TV a lot lately and that is why I posted. Seems rather a poor response to point elsewhere. 

Edited by jacko45k
Posted
10 minutes ago, cumgranosalum said:

In many countries, bottled water is a rarity. Mains water is drinkable. and in other countries water is delivered in large containers.

 

The situation in Thailand and on Samui is quite deplorable as the infrastructure simply doesn't exist to transport water cheaply - it is much cheaper to transport it by pipes rather than by road. this would result in savings in many areas 0 e.g. transport/road use and use of plastics.

 

As i pointed out earlier there is very little forethought given or Samui or anywhere else in Thailand to how water is supplied and the systems in use are unbelievably wasteful...over 30%.

if these problems are addressed water shortages would be reduced, water quality would increase, use of plastic bottles would decline and the overall environment would be improved.

In many POOR countries bottled water is a rarity, water borne diseases are not rare though!

Off course the solution would be for all to have clean, drinkable water free from contaminates piped into our homes, we are not doing a very good job of making this a reality, our water supplies are becoming more polluted, in places they add even more contaminants telling us it's healthy!

A good amount of the plastic bottles in Thailand are recycled, a lot more so than other parts of the world.

A lot of people make a lot of money from water, they will fight any changes!

We are our own worse enemies!

Posted
3 hours ago, SamuiRes said:

For those who are interested this is information I have been given.

Water from the PWA comes from five sources.
1) Chaweng Lake providing 3,000 cbm per day
2) Hua Thanon Lake providing 6,000 cbm per day
3) Namuang Waterfall providing 10,800 cbm per day
4) Lipa Noi RO Plant providing between 2,400 and 4,800 cbm per day
5) Plai Laem Desalination plant providing up to 3,000 cbm per day.

 

A new undersea pipe line has been laid from the main land
and the PWA are in the process of extending their network around the island. Completion of this is planned for
2017 and it will then produce 1,000 cbm/hour.

 

Whilst many will say this is too late (for this year at least) it does show that there has been forward planning but big projects like this take time to fund and implement.

Good info if true, I hope they get it done in time so people don't suffer too much or too long with little or no fresh water, I know desalination plants are a very expensive source, I would think the pipeline will prove to be a much better option.

Posted

That photo is of the water reservoir in Na Muang (Nameang) in Southern Samui. This is the supply for the Southern part of the Island. Everyone is completely missing the point here.  The more the Government gives people (without educating them) the more they take and the LESS value it has. Since this reservoir was built 12 years ago Thais and others have STOPPED collecting their own water. There is no education on water conservation / waste anywhere here. It's like every issue here, trash, plastic in the water, bad driving, burning off etc etc NO ONE gives a shit and there is no one to educate anyone here.

 

I have a 30,000 liter water tank under my house and get no 'town' water. We never run out. We collect 100% from the rain off the roof of the house. Everyday we see people washing their bikes and cars with the hose running into the drain. No one gives a shit until it runs out then everyone blames the Government and lack of infrastructure.

 

People here just don't get it.  You are on your own here in Thailand if you choose to live here. If you think anyone is going to help you it might be time to go back to where you came from.  Save the money, buy solar and a big ass water tank and this won't even be an issue for you.

 

Posted
2 hours ago, williamgeorgeallen said:

water is more important than oil. should be charging more for it.

They do in America by the bottle, amazing considering the amount of fresh water there.

Posted
2 hours ago, chawengnoy said:

Who is kdding who!! This water shortage is a result of years of bad planning and abysmal infrastructure management. Pipes that leak more waer than reaches the destination and no planning for future needs. The new pipe;ine from the mainland. will NOT be enough and eveyone knows it

 

The current situaion is that, down at sea level, in a busy urban envirnoment, we are getting a trickle of water every two/three days - not even enough pressure to power a hot shower. Then whole days without ANY water at all

 

A few years ago when Samui suffered its electricity blackouts, it became a national scandal with action from Bangkok

 

why is no-one taking any notice of the water problem?

If what you say is true, I would be pissed off as it sounds like you are. I sure hope it gets better for you there, I can't really even imagine how it must feel to not have that basic necessity. Good luck. Answer to your last ?   Maybe there are not enough Hi-So's in your neighborhood. Surely enough on the island though. Have you tried installing a pump to draw the water out of the line, Ive heard some guys had some success with that.

Posted

Usual Thai mentality, build, build, build with no infrastructure to keep up...
90% of profit goes into the arse pocket with 10% into the locality.
Should be the other way around!

Posted

Still waiting to hear from people who actually live here to say they have no water.... None seem to have appeared yet, and I know there are members all around the island who would say "we have no water"!

Posted

Jimmy, I am not living there now but spoke to two friends today. One near Hua Thanon has not had town water fot nearly 2 weeks and is now buying a tanker every 4 days. The other friend has two resorts on the nothern part of Lamai. The town supply is restricted to every other day but usually too many people are accessing it and is only a trickle at best. He has had to resort to his deep wells to keep the resorts operating.

Posted

I buy my water in by tanker for my house in the south as we are not connected to the mains yet.

My villa in bophut that I rent out has sporadic water supply that is supplied through government pipes from midnight for few hours. This is enough to fill up the tanks for daily use for few days. This sometimes is only once a week so my tenants have to buy tankers of water to fill the house tanks for them to shower etc.

I blame bad planning for this. The building works are everywhere with no care where all the electric and water will come from as long as money can be made !! I have been here for 9 years and had enough. It will only get worse in my eyes.

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