During this time, many people may hear the news of the salty tap water. Cause concern For those who have to consume tap water without boiling Or water filters Whether it is safe for the body or not
Mr. Komkrit Tinakorn Na Ayudhya Deputy Governor (Engineering and Construction), Metropolitan Waterworks Authority As a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Waterworks Authority Revealing the situation of tap water has a changed taste. Or many people called “Salty tap water” Which tap water is salty Is to be salty like sea water Or salty fish sauce But the water supply of the Metropolitan Waterworks Authority at this time is not that salty. I want you to use that “Brackish tap water”
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Causes of brackish water supply in 2021
The brackish water situation this year Quite impactful Due to high seawater support And the phenomenon of lifting of sea water at the estuary of Thailand is higher than normal In addition, the amount of water in the main dam is low. Which must be used to maintain normal ecosystems in the Chao Phraya River Including water use activities in agriculture Industrial Making it impossible to release water to help push the salt water to the fullest If a lot of water is released May cause insufficient water in the rainy season from May to June 2021.
Another important issue is Because in previous years We use water from the west bank of the Chao Phraya River. Mae Klong River, Tha Chin River through Phraya Banlue Canal Phra Phimon Canal comes down to the Chao Phraya River To help dilute the salt water But this year, the water in the Vajiralongkorn Dam And Srinakarin Dam Which is the Mae Klong river, with half less water than the previous year Therefore unable to bring water to help
The MWA has 3 provinces responsible for Bangkok, Samut Prakan and Nonthaburi, with areas affected by brackish water. Will be Bangkok East bank of the Chao Phraya River Areas receiving water from the Bang Khen Water Filtration Plant Samsen water filter plant And Thonburi water filtration plant While the west bank of the Chao Phraya River uses water from the Mae Krong River to produce water at the Mahasawat Water Treatment Plant Around Kanchanaphisek Road Making the west coast not affected by brackish water
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However, the MWA has prepared to open “Water Crisis Management Center” Since the beginning of December 2020, with measures to build long-term stability. Measures for drinking tap water service points have helped people. As well as coordinating cooperation with relevant agencies Especially the National Water Resources Office And the Royal Irrigation Department In order to jointly manage for the most efficiency
In 2021, brackish tap water At what time will it be born?
Mr. Komkrit revealed that first we need to understand again that The problem of tap water has changed from the original taste. Will happen at certain days and times This will be according to the tidal phenomenon. Simply put, there will be high water surveillance during each monk’s day of each month.
During the past, it happened in early January, the latest occurred between January 28, February 2, 2021, with high sea support. And the phenomenon of lifting of sea water at the estuary of Thailand is higher than normal (Similar to the period of January 10-18, 2021, which is a natural phenomenon), together with the strong wind waves from the Gulf of Thailand into the Chao Phraya River. It is a factor that accelerates the sea water situation higher than expected. As a result, during January 31 and February 1-2, the taste of tap water has changed from before almost all day.
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Although the MWA will have surveillance And to manage the pumping of raw water from the Chao Phraya River Around the Samlae raw water pumping station, Muang District, Pathum Thani Province with Avoid pumping raw water with a high salinity wedge as much as possible into the waterworks. To produce tap water at Bangkhen, Samsen and Thonburi water production plants to serve the public continuously. But the limit can be avoided in just 4 hours.
While the flooding is high Happened continuously for more than 10 hours and on January 31, the sea level raised more than 19 hours ever, and in February. People will have to keep an eye on the rain on the 10-15 February and return to normal when enough water in the dam is pushing the water full. Or entering the rainy season
Brackish tap water Is it dangerous to drink?
Metropolitan Waterworks Authority Recommend guidelines for using tap water during drought for people. As recommended by the Department of Health as follows
- People with normal health Can consume tap water Without affecting health Since people should consume no more than 1 teaspoon of salt per day (2,000 milligrams), our bodies tend to get more sodium from food than in tap water. The amount of salinity found in this period in tap water that tastes brackish. Very little considered Average about 35 mg per glass only.
- Risk groups who should avoid consuming certain periods These include people with kidney disease, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, the elderly, small children and small pets.
How to check for brackish tap water yourself
Mr. Komkrit said the tap water did not taste brackish all day. During the time when fresh water can hold water for drinking. For other times, water can be used for other activities. Inside the house as usual, such as bathing, washing
For people who want to hold water for drinking Able to track daily water quality forecast Is a graph indicating the moment when the brackish taste begins. With regular intervals Through various online media The waterworks of the Metropolitan Waterworks can be facebook / twitter / IG / Line in the name of “MWAthailand”. The application is called MWA onMobile and the website. www.mwa.co.th To reserve water at regular intervals for consumption, and now the MWA is developing a real-time water quality monitoring system that will be complete the whole system soon.
In addition, the MWA has also opened a drinking water service point for free. Allowing people to bring a container to receive water supply as follows
- Suvarnabhumi Branch Office
- Minburi Branch Office
- Samut Prakan Branch Waterworks Office
- Bang Khen Branch Waterworks Office
- Sukhumvit Branch Office And Phra Khanong Branch Office
- Phayathai Branch Office
- Maensri Branch Office
- Lat Phrao Branch Office
- Prachachuen Branch Office
- Thung Mahamek Waterworks Branch Office Nonthaburi Branch Waterworks Office
- Bangkok Noi Branch Waterworks Office
- And service points at Soi Samakkhi 30 community, open daily from 08.00-20.00
- MWA Head Office, Water Meter Department Klong Toey Pumping Station Samrong Pumping Station Bang Phli Pumping Station And the Minburi pumping station Open for service on official days and hours from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.
For measures to deal with brackish water in the future, the MWA has implemented the 9th Waterworks Improvement Project by expanding the water production capacity of the Maha Sawat Water Treatment Plant. To support the increasing demand for water in the future The construction of a water tunnel from the Maha Sawat water production plant. Connecting the east and west coast, adding one more route Supporting drought situations that may arise in the future
In this regard, the MWA asks for cooperation of all people. Save water And regularly inspect the water supply system in your home And repair immediately if any leaks are found If you see broken plumbing in public areas They can be informed at MWA call center 1125 or MWA onMobile application 24 hours a day to reduce water loss. And sufficiently conserve water costs for all sectors
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