Pattaya could see its greatest water shortage in more than five years due to low levels in Chonburi reservoirs feeding the city.
Sutat Nutchpan, Pattaya-area manager for the Provincial Waterworks Authority, said Oct. 30 there are fewer than 13 million cu. meters of water in five reservoirs, compared with 36.7 million cu. meters at this point last year.
Unless it rains heavily in November, Pattaya will face a drought more severe than 2015’s serious water shortages, Sutat warned.
The PWA already is laying plans to install new pipes and upgrade electrical systems to pump more water from the utility’s Nong Plalai water-production facility in Rayong to Pattaya. It also will need more water from a private supplier and reduce tap water supplies to householders in the Mabprachan and Chaknok reservoir areas, he said.
Specifically new, wider pipes will be laid between Rayong and Lake Mabprachan and the reservoir and the Nong Klangdong water-production facility. Electrical upgrades also will allow the Nong Plalai and Banglamung stations to run four pumps simultaneously, Sutat said.
The utility also will squeeze as much water out of its five reservoirs as possible by dredging spillways and pump out water remaining in those canals. Currently, the five reservoirs are at only a combined 32.5 percent capacity.
The PWA also will add pipes to pump water from Sattahip to Pattaya and purchase more raw water from privately run East Water and tap water from Sattahip municipality.
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