Shrinking Pattaya Reservoirs

[Bullfrog 2,224]

There are some very dark clouds over Jacko's house at the moment with loud rumbling noises ....... Although it could be more to do with the alcohol ban than any imminent rain showers ....

[nkped 1,208]

Rain right now, forecast for this week looks promising.  If we can get into the pattern of an afternoon shower, that will be a start.

[Bullfrog 2,224]

50 minutes ago, nkped said:

Rain right now, forecast for this week looks promising.  If we can get into the pattern of an afternoon shower, that will be a start.

Here too....fucking it down at the moment!!

[jacko 8,814]

18 hours ago, Bullfrog said:

There are some very dark clouds over Jacko's house at the moment with loud rumbling noises ....... Although it could be more to do with the alcohol ban than any imminent rain showers ....

It did rain, you are correct. This morning I had to quickly re-close the windows as the flying termites poured in. I have a couple of cases but need to go on rations, what a drag. 

Edited April 13, 2020 by jacko

[forcebwithu 4,853]

The Eastern Water Resources Dept released their 10 April weekly water situation report (link) and it's not good at all.

For the 3 April report I had some misgivings about the numbers reported as the numbers on one of their charts didn't make sense. As it turns out I think the report on 3 April that showed an increase of 11 MCM was completely wrong. That erroneous report is still on their website if anyone cares to look.

On 3 April the report that shows total water volume for three of the reservoirs listed 56.76 MCM for the total. The 10 April report total is 38.21 MCM, a decrease of 18.55 MCM! Those three reservoirs now only have 6.5 MCM of usable water left, about two weeks of water based on an avg consumption of 3 MCM/week. Anyone still believe the govt statement we'll have enough water to last us until June?

So now the question is what happened to this water diversion, "the government would extract 14 million cubic metres of water from old mining sites. The Royal Irrigation Department has also diverted 10 million cubic metres from a river in Chanthaburi province to replenish three reservoirs in Rayong and Chon Buri provinces". That quote is from a statement made on 19 March.

Edited April 14, 2020 by forcebwithu
estimate two weeks of water left, not three

[forcebwithu 4,853]

How 'bout that, with maybe two weeks of water left the PVA finally announces what they're going to do about it.

Pattaya begins water rationing

The Provincial Waterworks Authority has begun rationing tap water with faucets in most Pattaya-area homes only running every other day.

With the Mabprachan Reservoir now down to 5 percent of capacity, PWA Pattaya manager Suthat Nutpan said the utility is alternating service between low-lying and elevated areas, with service cut across the board from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Those receiving water service on odd-numbered days are:

South Road, Thepprasit Road, Soi Wat Bunkachana and Soi Chaiyapruek 1, Soi Mabyailia 1-21 and Sukhumvit Soi 53 (5-9 a.m. and 4-8 p.m.)

Central Road’s southern side and Chaloemphrakiat Road (6 a.m. – 8 p.m.)

Soi Khao Noi (5 a.m. – 6 p.m.)

North Road’s northern side (6 a.m. – 8 p.m.)

Those receiving water service on even-numbered days are:

Pratamnak Hill (5 a.m. – 6 p.m.)

Central Road’s northern side (6 a.m. – 8 p.m.)

Sukhumvit Road near King Power, Soi Arunothai, Sois Sukhumvit 42-46/4 (6 p.m. – 8 p.m.)

Huay Yai Soi Chaiyapruek 2, Nong Heep and Khao Makok (5 a.m. – 6 p.m.)

Pong, Rung Ruang Village, Soi Mabyailia 6-18/1 (5-9 a.m. and 4-8 p.m.)

In other areas, water will run every day or nearly every day.

Soi Nernplubwan and Soi Tung Kom (every day 5-9 a.m. and 4-8 p.m.)

Naklua Sois 25-33 and Pattayaniwed (5-9 a.m. and 4-8 p.m. every day except April 15-16, 19, 23, 25, 27-28; and May 3-4, 7, 10-11 and 13).

Soi Photisan Soi 2-14, Naklua Sois 15-16 (5-9 a.m. and 4-8 p.m. April 17, 20-21, 24-25 and 28-30; and May 1-2, 5, 8-9, and 12-13.)

[forcebwithu 4,853]

It was back on 17 February I made the prediction based on current levels and water consumption rates the reservoirs would run out of water around 17 April. While it's one day early I figured I'd better get out there and get one last update in before Lockdown v2 goes live this afternoon. As it turns out that was a good call. Sometime in the last day or two they have turned off the pumps and given up on getting any more water out of Mabprachan Reservoir.

Where before there was the constant background hum of pumps running, today it was eerie silence.

Now we know what a reservoir with no usable water looks like.

But Flower Land still has their supply of water.

Thought I'd end this post with a picture of happier times. The dragon boat races back in August, 2019.

[Bullfrog 2,224]

When I went to 7/11 this morning (sukumvit+damsamakee) they were taking a delivery of water......So if a business that "should" have a backup tank and on the main route has run out of water it doesn't bode well for those without a tank and living off the main supply route......

 

EDIT = I've just done a "tap tap test" on my 2,000 litre tank and it sounds full. I also keep 3 days worth in my tank in the bog ....Hopefully I'll be OK..!!

Edited April 16, 2020 by Bullfrog

[Butch 3,456]

great pics FBWU. I read in the pattaya mail that they have started water rationing in some areas. Given the current situation, pardon my poor attempt at humour when I say, "it never rains, but it pours".

 

[forcebwithu 4,853]

1 hour ago, Butch said:

great pics FBWU. I read in the pattaya mail that they have started water rationing in some areas. Given the current situation, pardon my poor attempt at humour when I say, "it never rains, but it pours".

Thanks. Post prior to my latest has the water rationing schedule.

[nkped 1,208]

Every other day seems to be optimistic.

[TaaSaparot 11]

Plan announced today is to start pumping water from two reservoirs in the Chee Chan district.

[forcebwithu 4,853]

The Eastern Water Resources Dept has released the 17 April weekly water situation report (link). The report total is now at 37.15 MCM, a decrease of only 1 MCM from the previous week.

While the chart below lists the three reservoirs in the above chart as still having usable water, it could be the reality is they're now in the same condition as Mabprachan and they've stopped pumping there too.

 

 

[Rawhide2 1,343]

Further words superfluous.......Jesus Wept

 

[forcebwithu 4,853]

^^^ Excellent drone footage. It's interesting to see how it looks from the air. TFP.

[Butch 3,456]

Yep, that's a shocking insight into how bad it is. Good find Rawhide.

[biggles 509]

During the last water shortage some years ago they had the chance to dig the lake out deeper. They did nothing and will do the same again!! 

[forcebwithu 4,853]

3 hours ago, biggles said:

During the last water shortage some years ago they had the chance to dig the lake out deeper. They did nothing and will do the same again!! 

Two possible reasons they can't dig deeper. One is the dam itself is designed to hold back a specified volume of water. If the capacity of the reservoir were increased, the weight of the additional water may exceed the design limitations of the dam. Second reason is by digging the reservoir deeper the pumping station would also have to be modified to reach the new bottom of the reservoir.

[midlifecrisis 4,048]

Percolation. Pump the water out later. No evaporation. No increase in reservoir size or depth. I mentioned this before.

Or more expensively is desalinization.

Both are long term solutions and do nothing for today's problem.

[forcebwithu 4,853]

At least one region is looking into tapping the aquifer for water.

New study into use of huge aquifer in Isan

NAKHON RATCHASIMA: A new study will explore ways of bringing up water from a huge underground aquifer for use in four northeastern provinces - Nakhon Ratchasima, Chaiyaphum, Buri Ram and Surin.

The artesian basin stores about 16,000 million cubic metres of groundwater and was found relatively recently, a Groundwater Resources Department official said on Wednesday.

The Nakhon Ratchasima-based Zone 5 Groundwater Resources Office is responsible for groundwater use in the four provinces.

Office director Surat Buaphan said that if the groundwater can be brought up it would be a boon for farmers in the Northeast who rely on rainfall during the wet season for agriculture. Their land lies unused during the dry season due to lack of water.

Of the four provinces under his office, Nakhon Ratchasima, Chaiyaphum and Buri Ram have already been declared drought-hit zones this year.

Surin is not included as it has a sufficient supply of surface water, thanks to rain brought by former tropical storm Podul.

In Nakhon Ratchasima, artesian wells have been sunk at all villages so it was quite certain there would be sufficient water for consumption this dry season, he said.

Groundwater from artesian wells at more than 400 schools is being processed for use as drinking water, and can also be used by people from nearby communities, he said.

Of the estimated 16,000 million cubic metres of water in the aquifer, only about 11% of it is being pumped for use. The department study will explore ways of making the most use of it.

[midlifecrisis 4,048]

forcebwithu, you are doing a great service to this community with your diligent reporting. You have become quite an expert.

 

[forcebwithu 4,853]

42 minutes ago, midlifecrisis said:

forcebwithu, you are doing a great service to this community with your diligent reporting. You have become quite an expert.

Thanks, but hardly an expert. More like too much time on my hands now.

I stumbled on to the article just posted because of your mention of percolation. That got me to wondering if they were using that method to help recharge the aquifer used in Bangkok.  I didn't see anything on that subject, but the use of an aquifer in Isan did pop up.

Which also points out how we live in a wonderful age where information on pretty much any subject is just a search engine and a couple of mouse clicks away.

[forcebwithu 4,853]

Another article about what we've known about for months. I don't understand why there is no mention in the article they have stopped pumping from Mabprachan since about 15 April?

Pattaya Water Authority says Mapprachan Lake Reservoir now at critical level but will continue to ration water

[Evil Penevil 7,628]

On 4/21/2020 at 10:12 AM, midlifecrisis said:

forcebwithu, you are doing a great service to this community with your diligent reporting. You have become quite an expert.

Forcebwithu deserves everyone''s thank for his pics and analysis of the drought and shrinking reservoirs..  We're all occupied right now with the  COVID-19 pandemic, but the water shortage deserves a lot of attention, especially if it's a chronic shortage.

Evil

 

Some backgound:

Thailand’s Big Water Challenge 

Water shortages remain a huge problem for the Southeast Asian country.

By Kanokwan Manorom

Shortages of water are a huge problem for Thailand. The government’s attempts to promote industrial investment in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) — Chon Buri, Rayong and Chachoengsao — has caused water demand in the region to rise drastically. This has diverted water away from farmers and local people creating an increasingly unfair distribution of water resources.

Thailand is currently facing its worst drought in 40 years. This drought will exacerbate Thailand’s existing economic pressures through damaging the agricultural sector, particularly Thailand’s main farming activities of sugar, rubber and rice. Based on Bank of Ayudhya’s Krungsri Research, the 2020 drought will cost the country 46 billion Thai baht ($1.5 billion), or 0.27 percent of GDP.

The Royal Irrigation Department (RID) has spent more than 15 million baht ($480,000) supplying water to the EEC by building water storage systems and reclaiming more than 32,000 hectares of land. This has sparked conflict between local people and the state. Water sources in two districts of the Nakhon Ratchasima Province dried up in early January 2020 requiring water from the Lam Ta Khong Dam to be diverted to supply farmers in the area.

Thailand has undergone rapid economic development over recent decades causing huge increases in water demand around the country in all sectors. Increased demand has been accompanied by more droughts and floods due to climate change and deforestation. The Thai government sees the country’s water shortage problem as also being caused by both increased human demand in rural and urban areas and water overuse in many sectors.

The Thai National Water Vision was announced in July 2000 envisaging that by 2025 ‘Thailand will have sufficient water of good quality for all users … that will ensure equitable and sustainable use of water resources.” Thailand will find the complexities and politics of water policy difficult to overcome in the next five years as water demand continues to increase, driven by a growing population and economic growth. Thailand’s adoption of integrated water resource management (IWRM) principles has also faced challenges in implementation, owing to overlapping mandates among Thai institutions.

(READ MORE)

[Gary 4,119]

Pattaya isn't the only area with lack of water. We have been living in the boonies of Loei province for about 12 years or longer. One of our farm ponds has never dried up until this year. It is totally dry. I did take the opportunity to hire an excavator to deepen and enlarge the pond. As of today it is still dry. My wife was expecting 150 bags of rice from one of her farms. She got 90 bags even after drilling a bore hole and pumping water 24/7 for irrigation. That took a lot of diesel fuel. That farm also has a pond. The pond was pumped dry before she had the new borehole drilled. Fortunately I don't depend on farming money to live but a lot of the farmers are badly hurt. She also has a lot of fruit trees of which many have died. She had planted 450 banana trees. They have all shriveled up and are totally lost.

A couple years ago the government enlarged and deepened the local reservoir. It is now much deeper and probably about a kilometer long and about 3/4 kilometer wide wide. It too is nearly empty. This entire area has one rice crop a year because of lack of rain. Some dumb ass farmers decided to double crop because of the irrigation from the huge reservoir. That second crop was totally lost.