Groundwater Control in Thailand

Asia-Pacific Water Summit , May 2013

hi i h il dChiangmai, Thailand

Oranuj Lorphensri,Ph.D.

Director of Groundwater Use Control

Department of Groundwater Resources

Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, ThailandMinistry of Natural Resources and Environment, Thailand

k kBangkok MetropolitanMetropolitan

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Hydrogeologic Setting

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Hydrogeologic Setting

Occupied much of Lower Chao Phraya Occupied much of Lower Chao Phraya

BasinBasin

Underlain by thick interbedded alluvial Underlain by thick interbedded alluvial

and marine sediment (~ 600 m depth)and marine sediment (~ 600 m depth)

8 semi confined aq ifers o erlain b 8 semi-confined aquifers overlain by

Holocene Bangkok marine clayHolocene Bangkok marine clay

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Bangkok Marine Clay

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Groundwater Resources Development 1950 19801950-1980

Urban water supply commenced in 1950s.Urban water supply commenced in 1950s.

Mainly by MWA (Metropolitan Waterworks y y ( p

Authority) reached6 500,000 m3/d in 1980

With private industrial abstraction increasing

significantly

T t t 2 d 3 d 4 if (100 250 B l) Target at 2nd,3rd,4 aquifers (100-250 m Bgl)

By 1985 piezometric surface reaching to greater By 1985, piezometric surface reaching to greater

than 40 m. below MSL over much of Greater

Bangkok 6

Water level in 1959-1974

พ.ศ. 2502 (1959)

water level 5 9 m bgswater level 5 -9 m bgs.

พ.ศ. 2512 (1969)

water level 6 24 m bgswater level 6-24 m bgs.

พ.ศ. 2517 (1974)

Water level below 30 m bgsate e e be o 30 bgs

ขอมูลจากการประปานครหลวง

Groundwater and land subsidencein 1985

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Susceptibility to Environmental Degradation

1980, evidence of significance land subsidence i th t f thin the center of the metropolitan area

As a result of aquitard compaction related to the As a result of aquitard compaction related to the lowering of peizometric surfaces and associated drainage of these previously uncompacteddrainage of these previously uncompactedsediments

Damage to urban structure, also increased flooding riskflooding risk

Depression of piezometric surfaces raised concerns about aquifer sea-water intrusion

Chloride increased to above 1 500 mg/l at center Chloride increased to above 1,500 mg/l at center of the city 9

Groundwater Depletion Water level drawdown Water level drawdown More difficulty in

extracting waterg GW quality deterioration

L d S b id• Loading and settlement of

Land Subsidenceg

upper clay layer

• Damage to infrastructure

• Flooding

• Disturb/deteriorate drainage t Areas close to the sea (such as here in Phra Pradaeng) can be

subject to tidal floods during extreme high tide (spring tide). Source: UNESCAP, 2002

systems10

Abandon well head which is effected by land subsidence. The difference between a recent road level and a previous road level.pThe rate of land subsidence is about 1.25 meter (during 1980-2003).

Newly made road levelAbandon well head

Previous Road level

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Damage of Infrastructureg

Groundwater Management Initiatives

1985-1995 Reducing MWA abstraction b t P i t U l t

MWA i t d f t t th it d l d

but Private Use escalates

MWA imported surface water to the city and closed

its water wells, eliminated late 1990s,

Increased domestic, commercial and industrial

private wells, abstraction reached over 2,000,000

3/d b l t 1990m3/d by late 1990s

With a further 400 000 m3/d by three provinces PWAsWith a further 400,000 m /d by three provinces PWAs

responsible in the outer-lying part of Greater

Bangkok 13

Groundwater Management Initiatives

Actually, DMR-GWD had been given power to y, g p

take stock of groundwater use through

Groundwater Act of 1977

1983 DMR-GWD recommended to the Thai

Cabinet that stronger measure was needed

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Groundwater Management Initiatives

1985-1995 Reducing MWA abstraction but Private Use escalates

Different types of demand

A) d ti d i l 100 A) domestic and commercial use : 100 mm,

depth of 150 m and yield 1,000 m3/d (costdepth of 150 m and yield 1,000 m /d (cost

5,000 to 7,000 Us$)

B) industrial use: 200-300 mm, depth of >150

to 500 m and yield 10,000 m3/d (cost 145,000

U $)Us$)15

Measures included

• ‘critical area’ where water well drilling would be banneddrilling would be banned

• Powers to seal water wells in• Powers to seal water wells in area with main water-supply coveragecoverage

• Licensing and charging forLicensing and charging for groundwater abstraction according to metered oraccording to metered or estimated

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At first in 1985 charges ‘essentially nominal’ g y

1 Bht (US$ 0.03)

For sure, no incentive to reduce abstraction-,but their existence did serve GW use administration and develop a soundadministration and develop a sound information base

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1995-2005 More Effective Measures to control Private Groundwater Use control Private Groundwater Use

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Progressive raising GW charges

Which were restructure into 2 components1 G d t f f1. Groundwater use fee from 3.5 Bht (US$ 0.09) in 2000 to 8.5 Bht (US$ 0.21) by 2003

2. Groundwater conservation fee from 1.0 Bht (US$ 0.03) in 2004 to 8.5 Bht (US$ 0.21) by 2006

Control GW abstraction not more than 1.25 MCM/D

Public awareness campaign on the need to arrest the trend in land-surface subsidence

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Timing of Groundwater Managementg g

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Recovery of Groundwater Level

Water Level (PD)

Time (Year)1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 20400

-10

-20201514 4

Dep

th (

m)

-30

-14.4 m

D

-40

-50 PD0034 Chatuchak Park (BH-1)

PD0023 Lumpini Park (BH-2), Ratchamangala Techn

PD0017 Sanam Suapa (BH 3) Rommaninat (BH 4)Bored Pile

-60

PD0017 Sanam Suapa (BH-3), Rommaninat (BH-4)

PD0028 Kasetsart U. (BH-6)

1969: Land subsidence given public attention

1978: Enforced Groundwater Act, B.E. 2520 (1977)

1983: Cabinet Resolution on “Mitigation of G d t C i i d L d S b id iGroundwater Crisis and Land Subsidence in Bangkok Metropolis“; Critical groundwater usage

i i B k k N th b i P th th i dregion in Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Pathumthani and Samut Prakan is announced

1984: Groundwater use fee of 1.0 Bt/m3 imposed (for 6 provinces)(for 6 provinces)

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1992: Groundwater Act, B.E. 2535 (1992), ( )amending Groundwater Act, B.E. 2520 (1977)

1994: Groundwater use fee increased to 3.5 Bt/m3

1995: All provinces identified as groundwater-p guse regions (must pay groundwater use fee)

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1995: Critical groundwater usage region t d d (T t l f 7 P i )extended (Total of 7 Provinces)

1997: Development of Groundwater Charging p g gScheme

2000 2003: Groundwater use fee increased 2000-2003: Groundwater use fee increased from 3.5 to 8.5 Bt/m3 (50% go to GW Fund)

2003: Groundwater Act, B.E. 2546 (2003), amending Groundwater Act, B.E. 2520 (1977); g , ( );Cabinet Resolution on “The Problem of Groundwater Use”Groundwater Use

2004: Groundwater Conservation Fee imposed ffor private groundwater users in 7 Provinces (100 % go to GW Fund)

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Today

Over 4,000 licenses around 3,000 owners

Abstracting about 300,000 m3/d

58 % of licensed by industrial (textile and food & beverage industries),food & beverage industries),

Many of the largest industrial water-users have moved out of Greater Bangkok

C fli t i di t i t h PWA l Conflict in some district where PWA supply with high charge (Bht 21/m3 or US$ 0.6/m3 )

In 2011, because of the land subsidence improvement the conservation fee wasimprovement, the conservation fee was dropped for 50% 26

Today

Perform the task of groundwater gadministration has 25 headquarter staffs (supplemented by short term contract(supplemented by short term contract personnel)

3 persons for each 6 provincial government p p goffices who responsible for routine local license administration and site inspectionlicense administration and site inspection

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Authorities in Groundwater Control for the whole countryfor the whole country

1. Regional Groundwater Development Office g p(12 provinces)

2 Provincial Office (76 provinces) 2. Provincial Office (76 provinces)

3. Bangkok Central Office

New player New player

4. In the near future the Local Administrative Office (smallest cell of government administration level) will partially control some ) p ylicensing of small size and small production wells (7700 units)wells (7700 units)

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Lesson learnt from experience

Principal achievementsp

Land subsidence in flood prone area, served as political ffocus

Abilit t th t d f GW d li d l d Ability to reverse the trends of GW decline and land subsidence through the consistent and persistent application of regulatory measure (Regularly update the application of regulatory measure (Regularly update the regulatory and economic measure. no matter how hard they are, economic measures always work best)

Management in priority area rather than universally apply the measures (Focus on the small scale apply the measures (Focus on the small scale problem/area..fix it… expand the experience to the larger area or whole country)g y)

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Lesson learnt from experience

Capacity of working with central office and Capacity of working with central office and provincial office to manage groundwater resourceresource

Long-term investment in groundwater and Long term investment in groundwater and related environmental monitoring (Invest in monitoring system and people since the g y p pscientific evidences are needed to proof the situation and to move on or set up the pregulatory measures.)

Recycling both GW use fee and conservation fee into a ‘groundwater fund’ for which to

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finance related monitoring and research activities.

Implication for Asia Pacific

Do not need the complicate pinstrument for monitoring at the first placeplace

The monitoring is the long term job The monitoring is the long term job which need commitment from the leader (provide budget)leader (provide budget)

I t f l t Improvement of regulatory measure grows along with the state of society development. It is like a tree which needs pruning.needs pruning.

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Implication for Asia Pacific

Find good reputation research institute/university to handle the institute/university to handle the scientific study for groundwater

l t d i It d thi d t t related issue. It needs third party to convince the public

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Th kTh k YYThankThank YouYou

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