The Royal Irrigation Department (RID) will seek cabinet approval today to cut daily water releases to the Chao Phraya River basin to ensure there will be enough water for consumption until next month.
Interior Minister Anupong Paojinda said water discharges from dams in the river basin would be cut from 28 million cubic metres per day to 18 million cu/m under the proposal, starting on Thursday. This is because there will be no rainfall until the end of the month, he said.
Farmers will be asked to stop diverting water for their farmland as the discharged water will be reserved for consumption.
Gen Anupong was speaking after state agencies met yesterday to discuss ways to manage water supply during the drought.
- Bottled water: No shortage, but consumers stock up
- Temporary reprieve: Pathum Thani water resumption 'short-lived'
"The RID confirmed that if water is not siphoned out of the system, the supply would be enough to last until August," he said.
"We are seeking more water resources, including ponds in the Chaipattana Foundation and Rama 9, as well as groundwater wells in the event the water supply falls short of the expected level."
The minister said he had ordered the Metropolitan Waterworks Authority (MWA) and the Provincial Waterworks Authority (PWA) to assess the tap water production situation.
The MWA and the RID confirmed there was no water supply problem in the capital, and the PWA will report to him today on which areas have water shortages, so water trucks can be deployed there.
Concerns over tap water escalated after the PWA plant in Pathum Thani's Thanyaburi district suspended the supply to households in the district over the weekend. The move came after Khlong 13, which supplies raw water to the Thanyaburi plant, dried up. A similar problem occurred in Lop Buri. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha blamed the tap water cut-off on farmers pumping raw water into their farmland and building dykes to contain water.
Pathum Thani governor Pongsathorn Sajjacholaphan called on farmers to stop diverting water from upstream of the pumping station in Khlong 13. The RID had deployed machinery to remove dykes blocking the water flow in Khlong 13, and also siphoned water from other sources to increase the water level in the canal, he said.
Mr Pongsathorn said the water level in the canal was enough for tap water production and work was underway to produce water for residents. Jirachai Moonthongroy, chairman of the PWA board, said water production resumed at 8pm yesterday. Some areas would have slow-running tap water and locals should prepare containers to store water, he said.
Meanwhile, residents in tambon Lampakgood of Thanyaburi district yesterday collected drinking water from a water truck sent in by local authorities after their tap water ran out. Krissada Leewarat, mayor of tambon Thanyaburi, said drinking water would be distributed to residents as the top priority.
Ekkasit Sakthanaporn, director of the Chao Phraya River dam, appealed to farmers downstream to divert water only according to the designated timetable to prevent tap water shortages in Pathum Thani and Lop Buri.
Supermarkets and bottlers claim there is plenty more where that came from, amidst signs consumers are starting to slowly panic and stock up on bottled water at home. (Photo by Weerawong Wongpreedee)
