Raw Water Sources For Water Supply In Bangkok Metropolitan Administration During Seawater Intrusion Period

Abstract

Water production and distribution for the people in Bangkok, Nonthaburi, and Samut Prakan areas, have faced the problem of using salty tap water. Problem has been specially found in the water supply services in the eastern part of the Chao Phraya River basins that mainly use the Chao Phraya River as a raw water source for producing the water supply. The problematic issue of high salinity in the produced water supply can be caused by the seawater from the gulf of Thailand intruding into the Chao Phraya River. Therefore, this research aimed to study and find out proper solutions to the problem by reusing the treated wastewater from the Bangkok wastewater treatment plants as raw water to produce water supply during the seawater intrusion period. Based on the study results, it was found that the reuse of the treated wastewater as a raw water source for tap water production could not be practically suitable because BMA has reused some of the treated wastewater for their activities as well as discharged some of it to maintain the environmental and ecological conditions of the river and canals. Hence, two approaches have been suggested as possible solutions to the faced salt tap water problem including 1) relocation of the water intake station (the raw water pumping station) to prevent the high salinity polluting the raw water resource during the seawater intrusion period, and 2) provision of new water reservoirs for especially reserving raw water for producing water supply during the seawater intrusion period.

Keywords

• salinity intrusion
• wastewater reuse
• wastewater treatment
• raw water
• bangkok