Residents of Bangkok and its suburbs have been warned not to drink tap water due to the high salt content, caused by seawater reaching upstream of the source of tap water in the Chao Phraya River.
Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang said, in his Facebook post on Wednesday, that many households in several areas in Bangkok are now are experiencing brackish tap water which, he warned, could be a threat to the health of small children, the elderly, those suffering from kidney and heart problems, high blood pressure or diabetes.
He also warned against the use of salty tap water for small petsand plants, pointing out that the level of salt in the Chao Phraya River has been measured at 1.2 grams per litre, which is abovethe standard level.
He said that the tap water can, however, still be used for other purposes.
With less water being released from upstream dams into the Chao Phraya River, high tides in February push seawater furtherupstream, into the area where raw water is drawn for treatment and turning into tap water.
The Metropolitan Water Works Authority, which is responsible for producing tap water for Bangkok and its suburbs, reportedly said the water pumping station in Pathum Thani, the main station drawing water from the river for treatment, has been trying to draw water at specific times, when the water is the least salty, to reduce the salinity of tap water as much as possible.
