Patong facing water rationing for monsoon season

PATONG: The Phuket Water Works is warning Patong residents that between now and October there will be less tap water available than usual for this time of year. According to Praphop Thongmon, manager at the water works, this is not because Phuket is suffering a drought. It is simply because the supply of water to be shared by Patong, Kata, and Karon is fixed at about 13,000 cubic meters a day, and the demand has been increasing daily. “It is really not a supply problem. One or two years ago we had the same amount of water, but now there are many more people living here, especially in Patong,” Praphop told the Gazette. As a result of the increased demand, and because Phuket is moving into the hot summer months, the government will reduce the water supplied to Patong between 6 am and 4 pm. The situation will get better sometime in October, vows Praphop, when the Phuket Water Works will start buying water from a private company. This will increase the supply available for the three beach areas to about 23,000 cubic meters a day. “It’s hard to tell exactly what the demand will be at that point, but I believe the increased supply will be enough,” said Praphop.