Hua Hin Water Crisis

[PeteC]

This is in the print edition of Guru Magazine which came with the BKP today. Not on-line that I can find so put it here rather than in News. Not good news anyway. Pete

"Water levels in the Pran Buri Dam have fallen to their lowest in 30 years. Paiboon Yongpradit, director of the Pran Buri water supply project claims the dam, the main source of tap water to the province, had just 132m cubic meters of usable water, down from an average low point of 460m cubic meters. Hua Hin deputy mayor Athikhun Butying urged residents to save water and prepare for shortages in March and April, expected to be the driest for several years."

[poosmate]

I have a bore ( too shallow 33 metres) that has slowed and is producing only 2/3 of normal. Last year this problem started in March ( for 4 months). The guys selling tankers of water are complaining of large queues where they buy water - These will be next to dry up?.
The only hope is the new pipeline connecting another reservoir in Petchuburi.
I have been informed though it will be two years until it comes on line.
The rainfall for the last 2 years IMO in Hua Hin has been insufficient.
A save water campaign or similar bringing the situation to attention the locals the problem would maybe help.

[lomuamart]

I wonder whether they might do the same as last year with the bills? If a household's was less than 70 or 100 THB, it was free. It's a different way to doing it the West where the water bills are high, I believe, but maybe it made a lot of households try and use less water to get the free bill?

[usual suspect]

Yeah we're gonna see lots of water-tankers (tanks that hold water..not Cockney-slang) around HH this
'summer'..always raises the question of where/what source these guys have sucked the water out of..??

[hhfarang]

I drove by the reservoir beside the flyover just south of town this morning and it's full.

[poosmate]

maybe it made a lot of households try and use less water to get the free bill?

Brilliant deduction I never considered that the free water would save........you have certainly been in Thailand long enough to understand their ways

HHF The reservoir in town is pumped from Pranburi dam so is not an indication of water levels in the dam. Unless it is empty!

[PooftersFrothWyoming]

A save water campaign or similar bringing the situation to attention the locals the problem would maybe help.

To include hotels, hospitals, golf courses and private gardens... Do Hua Hin hotels and hospitals recycle wastewater? Or harvest rainwater?

[poosmate]

I think most Golf courses have their own supplies and reservoirs etc as do some hotels - The Hilton has its own bore and tanker for sure.
As for recycling rainwater I do not think it is thought of much ( like solar power) and will not be considered until to late.
Larger private gardens/pools are usually owned by educated people who are aware of shortages and hopefully act accordingly. The general local population has scant regard for environmental issues and that the water supply is endless. Many will run taps unnecessarily and consider any use their right as they are paying for it.
Re harvesting rainwater the problem IMO is the wet season is too short so the amount that can be harvested and stored economically ( tank size etc) will only last a very short time and far outweigh the cost of buying water.Again this will IMO only become more widespread if water becomes expensive and is rationed.

[Super Joe]

I have a bore ( too shallow 33 metres) that has slowed and is producing only 2/3 of normal

Lucky you!! our bores are around 70 metres deep and producing about 1/3 of normal. And the 'town' water in Soi 94 has already started to get turned off occassionally, think only 2 or 3 days so far


I bet some of the locals are a bit hacked off if they live in the vicinity of some of the farang developments, half the houses can be empty bar a few weeks of the year when owners have their holidays, but even when empty they're still guzzling up water on their lawns, topping up their pools and out of them nasty leaks under the garden that won't get noticed for another 6 months


The tanker guys are happy though if last years prices are still similar, we give them 150 Baht to fill up our 2,000 litre tanks, then they go back and spend a whole 22 Baht of that filling up again

SJ

[poosmate]

SJ: To be fair to the tanker guys the cost of water ( usually 10Baht per m3) is only part of the cost. Carrying water at a tonne a cube uses Fuel as does pumping it out. I have a 2 thousand litre tank mounted on a small six wheel truck. Last year is was used it to buy water and transport it maybe 4kms. To allow for wages and a small amount for maintenance ( brakes and clutches etc ) I calculated without profit the water cost me 47 baht m3. So a "tanker guy" may make 100 baht ( if the transport distance is not too far)per 2m3 load not allowing for maintenance and depreciation of the truck.
I could only manage 10 trips per day sometimes less as the queues at the supply bores were long.

[barrys]

When they were building the new military golf course at Kao Takhiab, they dug up the verge a long way south down Petkhasem Road to lay some big pipes which I surmised were to supply water for the course.

I wonder where that water is coming from - possible Pranburi Reservoir .....

[PeteC]

There seems to be a law over this side, in Rayong Province anyway, that golf courses are not allowed to have any bore at all. I guess the fear is that they'll suck all the underground reserves. Could be a nationwide law, I don't know. They are allowed to dig as many water hazards and holding ponds as they like, as well as link up with any local klong system as long as they don't dam onward, outward flow. I guess if water is near the surface, a 10-15 meter deep holding pond is a way around the no bore rule. Pete

[jimmy40]

I live between Cha-am and Hua hin, i have noticed that the gaps between water comming is riseing, it used to be one day on one day off. Then it went to 2 off, this week it went 4 days off, i had to buy water in to fill the tank. it can only get worse me thinks

[STEVE G]

I drove by the reservoir beside the flyover just south of town this morning and it's full.

HH, I believe that one is just a holding supply that fills from the much larger one in the hills.

[richard]

So a dry Songkran?

NO WAY