Hike in city water rates likely

PHUKET CITY: Phuket City residents can expect rising water charges in the coming few years, following former mayor Phummisak Hongsyok’s decision to begin charging for water the municipality pumps from his tin mines.

For years, K. Phummisak has provided the water free of charge, but he told the Gazette last month that he intends to start charging about 2 baht/cubic meter, beginning around May next year.

K. Phummisak has two mines that provide water to the city, with storage capacities of 1 million cubic meters and and 2 million cubic meters respectively. Both currently serve the Municipality, but water from the smaller mine will eventually be diverted to Phummisak’s new development, Chao Fah City.

Wiwat Puangkaew, Chief of Production at the Phuket City Water Supply Department, told the Gazette that he expects a rise in user fees as a result, though he noted that even with such an increase, rates would remain lower than in other parts of the country.

“We used about 3 million cubic meters from K. Phummisak’s tin mines last year. We expect that he will charge us 2 baht per cubic meter, so we will have to pay him about 6 million baht a year, probably starting in 2006.”

How much prices will rise will depend on the municipal government, which sets the rate, K. Wiwat said. However, he added he did not anticipate a doubling in rates over the next few years.