SURAT THANI: Koh Samui is facing a shortage of freshwater due to a lack of rainfall and increased water demand.
These factors have drastically reduced water levels in many water bodies on the resort island, including the Phru Na Muang and Phru Krajud reservoirs and the Hin Lard waterfall, affecting the volume of freshwater needed to produce clean water.
The island only has enough local freshwater supplies for residents for just 30 days.
The shortage has also affected tourism businesses on the island.
Ratchaporn Poonsawat, chair of the Tourism Association of Koh Samui, said the shortage could increase costs for tourism businesses as owners would have to buy freshwater.
The additional water costs could also affect hospitality workers on the island as a lack of water supplies would mean higher living costs for labourers, he said.
The costs would gradually increase as resources decrease, and the El Nino phenomenon may lead to even less rain for the island.
Mr Ratchaporn also warned of the drought's impact on tourism this month and next month as the island's high season will start in the second half of this year.
The island welcomed at least 1 million foreign tourists in the past five months.
Daily life of locals is also affected by insufficient water levels. Locals say that any time water does not flow from the tap, they must pay 250 to 300 baht for about 2,000 litres of water for daily use.
According to Prateep Kusolwattana, director-general of Provincial Waterworks Authority 4, water supply stations in the Phru Na Muang reservoir and Hin Lard waterfall can produce 15,000 cubic metres of freshwater per day for the island.
The authority also plans to supply 24,000 cubic metre of water from Surat Thani on the mainland via an underwater pipeline to Koh Samui.
The water supply operation began on Saturday and it will be repeated every other day until the water situation returns to normal, Mr Prateep said.
