At the Klong Kata reservoir in Chalong, Mr Sarawut also unveiled a project that saw new pipes laid from the reservoir to the water production facility on site, operated by the Phuket office of the Provincial Waterworks Authroity, in order to increase supply to the mains water network from the reservoir.
He also inspected the Cherng Talay Municipality ‘water supply pond” and the “Baan Khoktanode Monkey Cheek Project” at the Bang Neow Dum reservoir in Srisoonthorn.
Joining Mr Sarwut for his inspection tour were Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew, Phuket Provincial Chief Administrative Officer (Palad) Somprat Prabsongkram, Phuket PWA Chief Graisorn Mahamad and other officials.
According to a report by the Phuket office of the Public Relations Department (PR Phuket), the visit was also for Mr Sarawut as the Deputy Secretary-General of the ONWR to monitor progress and plans to bolster water reserves during the rainy season to prepare for any forthcoming periods of drought.
“Phuket uses about 80.9 million cubic metres of water a year,” Mr Sarawut noted.
Of that number, only 21.53mn cubic meters is supplied by the island’s three main reservoirs, while small water resource development projects supply 1.49mn cubic metres, Mr Sarawut said.
Water wells and mines supply about 21.02mn cubic metres, and other small water resources supply about 9.75mn cubic metres of water a year, he added.
But groundwater sources supplied about 27.11mn cubic metres a year, Mr Sarawut said.
“Total water demand [in Phuket] is expected to reach 87.67mn cubic metres by the year 2027, and by 2040 it is expected to reach 104.93mn cubic metres,” Mr Sarawut noted.
“Therefore, there is not enough reserves capacity to meet the demand for water, especially the need for water for tourism,” he admitted.
“Increasing the potential for water reserves of Phuket during the rainy season to support the need for water during the dry season is important for water management, for consumption of water by residents and industries, especially the tourism industry, which drives the main economy of Phuket and the country,” he continued.
The three projects overseen yesterday were only part of the current 20-year plan to expand Phuket’s water-supply capacity, Mr Sarawut said.
Of note, the official report by PR Phuket made no mention of the ‘Phang Nga pipeline’ that is supposed to be undergoing construction to help bolster the island’s water-supply capability.
The project was approved by Cabinet in 2019. However, the project soon stalled, mired by bureaucracy, prompting Phuket Governor Narong to travel to Bangkok to raise the issue with headlining officials in the capital as one of his first acts as Governor on the island.