Phuket Meteorologist Department Director, Wiwat Intarapanich told The Phuket News last Friday (Mar 11) that despite the fact that little rainfall had replenished natural water reserves since the start of the year, he was confident current reserves will be enough until the seasonal rains arrive in May. (See story here)
However, Phuket City Mayor Somjai Suwansupapana held a press conference yesterday (Mar 16) at Phuket City Municipality Office in Phuket Town with officials to address the readiness of the municipality to handle the hot season and any possible drought.
Mayor Somjai said after the meeting, “I don’t think we will have a water shortages issue with the supply to 70 per cent of the area covered under our municipality of our water supply because our system, such as the one on Damrong Rd and in Samkong, are connected to each other and we can change where the water is released from and direct it to where water is needed the most.”
She continued, “The only location that worries me is the water reserve near Suan Luang Rama 9 which supplies water to Chao Fa East, Bangkok and Poonphol roads.
“This reserve is now quite dry and will give sufficient water supply for about 1-2 weeks then it will probably be dried out,” she said.
“We are trying to find solutions to fix this issue such as adding more pipes and water into the reserve. We also will get some water from Bangwad Dam which will help some areas. And if necessary we will decrease water pressure,” she added.
Mayor Somjai went on to say that during this hot season, everybody should help preserve every drop of water and that there are many ways to do this.
“First, report any water leaks or pipe breakages to the necessary authority so they can fix it to eliminate unnecessary loss of water. Second, we must be ready to handle a water supply shortage, store extra water in a containers just in case the city stops release water to your area,” she said.
“If the amount of water held in the reserves does not increase, the city will reduce the pressure, and as a result, some areas will have no water at all while others may have low pressure water between 10am-4pm and between 10pm-4am until the pressure is put back to normal.
“We have set up a help centres for people facing water shortages in their area where people can come to collect water. There are three centers which already have emergency water supplies for those in need and they are located at Phuket City Municipality, the Office of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation 1 on Kra Rd and the Office of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation 2 in Soi Panieng on Yaowarat Rd,” she added.
Mayor Somjai urged everyone to use water wisely: “Value every drop of water and notify Phuket City Municipality right away if you notice a leak or break of water supply in your homes by contacting 076-211130 24 hours,” she concluded.