The Provincial Waterworks Authority was summoned to explain why it wants to pump the remaining water out of two Sattahip reservoirs when the district already is facing a serious drought.
Wanchart Wannapram, permanent-secretary officer / deputy district chief of Sattahip district, and officials from the PWA and Chonburi Irrigation Office met April 17 at Khao Chee Chan with angry residents living near the Huay Toh 2 and Mabfukthong 2 reservoirs.
Locals demanded to know why the PWA had laid pipes and pumps to suck water out of the critically low lakes without informing them or seeking their opinions.
Irrigation Office Director Tinnakaorn Sutin said the two reservoirs have more water than other eastern lakes and that was needed to supply tap water to homes, farms and businesses in the area.
Currently Huay Toh has 670,000 cu. meters of water remaining while Mabfukthong has 360,000 cu. meters. The PWA plans to pump out a combined 500,000 cu. meters of water to reprocess over the next two months.
Residents questioned the plan, saying their area is also suffering from severe drought and removing half the water from the lakes would destroy their value as tourist attractions. The residents demanded that the PWA upgrade the landscaping at the lakes in return and not pump any more water after June.
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