The residents of Pattaya and the surrounding areas have been reassured by Chaitat Eidsang, Manager of the Pattaya Provincial Water Authority, that Pattaya City will not be significantly impacted by the drought, known as “El Nio,” this year despite reports to the contrary. The five reservoirs in Pattaya City—Mabprachan, Huay Khun Jit, Huay Sapan, Nong Klang Dong, and Chaknok—are currently holding a combined raw water supply of more than 80% of their respective capacities, or about 40 million cubic meters, according to him.
In addition, a project to link water distribution pipelines across the Eastern area, which includes Chonburi, Rayong, and Chanthaburi, had been implemented by the Royal Irrigation Department. In order to complete this project, water was diverted from the virtually full raw water capacities of the Pra Sae and Nong Pla Lai reservoirs in Chanthaburi and Rayong, respectively. Before being given to Pattaya PWA for use, the water will be redirected to Nong Klang Dong Reservoir. Additionally, the Pattaya PWA had begun planning for 2024.The Pattaya PWA also intended to divert water from Sattahip’s Huay Yai Ra Canal, which had a substantial water supply that flowed directly into the ocean. Once finished, this project will be able to redirect roughly one million cubic meters of water per year into the system.Mr. Chaitat also recognized that high-level, aging, and damaged water pipelines presented problems in some Pattaya neighborhoods. However, Pattaya City has been working well with the PWA Pattaya to modernize the water distribution infrastructure so that it can withstand higher water pressure. These problems were being remedied gradually.
According to Mr. Chaitat, there have not yet been any conversations about Pattaya City’s intention to build the “Monkey Cheek” region, which would hold water from the eastern districts to stop it from pouring into Pattaya City. If this project were to be completed, it would act as an additional safeguard to ensure that raw water is readily available and sufficiently satisfies consumer expectations.
