Quarter of a million homes without tap water in Bangkok

More than two hundred and fifty thousand homes in Bangkok are currently without tap water as services are disrupted by the severe drought. Pathum Thani, Saraburi, Ayutthaya and Lop Buri residents have all been affected.

The Raphipat Canal running dry has put a stop to tap water production in Pathum Thani’s Thanyaburi district and the Provincial Waterworks Authority in Pathum Thani has announced it can no longer produce tap water.

In order to try to help the residents in Thanyaburi the PWA has been channeling some water from the PWA’s Rangsit office.

“At this point, the water volume is only about five to six cubic metres of water per second. But we need water volume of at least 10 cubic metres to ensure the canal can continue to feed tap-water services,” he said.

Chatchai has also asked the governors of Nakhon Sawan and Chai Nat provinces to stop farmers pumping water from the canal into their paddy fields.

‘Farmers will cooperate’

“Farmers have agreed to co-operate. They have understood the plight of Lop Buri people who lack water for their daily life,” he said.

Local irrigation officials had also installed pumps along the canal to help speed the flow of water to a tap-water facility, he added.

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