On 17th July 2014 at the Royal Phuket City Hotel in Muang Phuket, Khun Somkiat Sangkhaosutthirak presided over a meeting to listen to public opinion on the study which has been carried out for a project that could see a water supply pipe run from Rajjaprabha Dam in Surat Thani to Phuket Island. The meeting was attended by Khun Chamnian Muangchan from Water Resources Department, representatives of provincial-level government agencies from Phang Nga & Phuket, and media.
Khun Chamnian said “The growth in tourism in the southern provinces of Surat Thani, Krabi, Phang Nga and Phuket in particular, has seen as huge increase in the demand for water which is likely to continue to increase, resulting in there not being enough water to meet the demand in the not too distant future. It is the objective of the Waterworks agencies to ensure that the water supply to Phuket and nearby provinces is adequate and to stabilize water resources in the area.
“A consulting firm has already carried out and feasibility study for the water pipeline from the Rajjaprabha Dam and we now need to carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) on the project. We need to make sure that the supply which will be installed is adequate to supply Phuket Island for both agricultural and domestic use, and that it will be sufficient for a period of 20-30 years and will be able to cover the demand for water in the future.”