Dr. Philaspong Supsermsri
gives an update on the progress of the city’s water recycling project.
Phasakorn Channgam
Pattaya plans to expand two area water-treatment
plants in hopes of keeping ahead of demand and prevent future water
shortages.
At a Jan. 19 planning meeting at Pattaya City Hall,
the city’s strategic advisory committee agreed the city would solicit
bids for construction at the plants on Soi Wat Nong Yai in Pattaya and
Soi Wat Bunkanjanaram in Jomtien Beach as well as the requisite
pipelines.
The Provincial Waterworks Authority says the city’s
current average usage of 138,000 cu. meters is rising and, within years,
will exceed capacity. City officials are trying to plan for that
eventuality by increasing water recycling.
The city current uses about 85,000 cu. meters of
treated water from its Pattaya and Jomtien plants. A 15 million baht
grant from Japan’s Ministry of Education and Technology allowed the city
to hire engineers from Nippon Koei Co. Ltd. to look at both the
technical and practical obstacles stopping the city from pumping treated
wastewater back into its main water-supply system.
Their 2010 study complete, the city now needs 900
million baht to invest into construction of the new plants and pipelines
connecting those to the Mabprachan and Huay Saak Nork reservoirs.
While public opinion favored options having the city
simply buy more water from vendors, city officials instead want to
invest in new projects and even sell excess water back to the PWA.
While the city has agreed to put the projects out for
bid, no mention was made of how the city will raise the 900 million baht
needed to make their dreams a reality.
