A new water resources law to take effect next month will collect fees on water usage from public sources, from zero to more than three baht a cubic metre.
Vorasart Apaipong, director-general of the Water Resources Department, said the new bill was being deliberated by the National Legislative Assembly.
The bill aims to integrate and consolidate the operations of 33 water-related agencies to facilitate management.
Under the new law, water usage is grouped into three types -- subsistence and consumption; commercial farming, industries, tourism, power generation and water supply; and large industries. The latter two types require licences.
The rates are zero for the first group; 50 satang per cu m for commercial farming; 1-3 baht for tourism-related businesses such as hotels, resorts or restaurants; not more than three baht for golf courses, power-generation businesses or water supply concessions. Large-scale agribusinesses, industries, power generation and other water-intensive industries to be defined by the committee will pay not less than three baht per cu m.
The proceeds will go to financing several water-management projects aimed at minimising floods and coping with dry spells.
Mr Vorasart said the bill should be enacted next month or November. Organic laws will be passed 180 days later and public referendums will be held again, especially on the rates, before the ministerial regulation on them is issued, he said.
According to the draft ministerial regulation, farmers with less than 50 rai of rice or sugarcane and/or 20 cows are defined as the first group, who do not have to pay the fees.
The usage can be measured by installing meters at the sources or calculated from areas. For instance, if 1,200 cu m of water is needed to grow one rai of rice per crop, a farmer with 50 rai will use 60,000 cu m and have to pay 30,000 baht.