The taps have run dry in Pathum Thani as the drought cuts raw water supplies to the Provincial Waterworks Authority's processing plant in Thanyaburi district, forcing a suspension to households in Thanyaburi, Lam Luk Ka and Nong Sua districts.
Officials said no tap water was being supplied to residents from Khlong 5 to Khlong 15 in Thanyaburi district and all of Lam Luk Ka and Nong Sua districts because Khlong 13, which provides raw water to the Thanyaburi plant, has dried up.
Khlong Rapipat, another source of raw water, faces the same situation.
The Thanyaburi plant usually supplies tap water to more than 50,000 households in the three districts.
Water on Khlong 13 in Pathum Thani province has dried up. (Photo by Pongpat Wongyala)
The PWA's Thanyaburi waterworks office has asked municipalities and other local administration organisations in the three districts to deliver water to those households by truck.
Pathum Thani governor Pongsathorn Sajjacholaphan said the provincial authority has asked the Royal Irrigation Department to pump water from the Chao Phraya River into canals to channel the water through Chulalongkorn watergate to Khlong 1 and subsequently to Khlong 13 so that the Thanyaburi plant can resume production.
Mr Pongsathorn said Thanyaburi, Nong Sua and Lam Luk Ka districts have been declared disaster zones. Local administrations in the three districts have been instructed to use their water and fire trucks to deliver clean water to affected residents.
Pathum Thani is now sufferring the heaviest drought in 30 years, he said. All main rivers and tributaries have dried up, he said.
Residents in Muang, Sam Khok and other districts where industrial estates are located have not been affected as water plants in the areas can still directly take water from the Chao Phraya River to produce tap water.
