Thailand Water Quality

[cavanami]

I am a bit fussy in regards to the water I drink.

 

Water in Thailand, straight from the tap, no way!

 

I search the area I live in and test many of the RO water machines and test their water quality.

Many I find produce the same quality that comes out of the tap, which means no filtering and no

RO process, crap water! TIT

 

I found two RO machines that I have been using for the past five years and they produced quality

water but the past three weeks, the water has been not so good

 

From my testing, I find the Thai water departments (MWA and PWA) adding very large quantities of

chlorine. WTF...

 

I estimate that the chlorine content has been increased 3 to 7 times the normal levels.

 

WTF is going on???

[baa99]

How did you estimate the level?

[Mekong]

Cav

 

Whilst I doubt the Chlorine Levels have increased 3 to 7 fold but I may be able to explain WTF is going on.

 

Chlorine is injected before the RO membrane filters and then Ultra Violet De-Chlorination is used to bring the chlorine levels down to between 0.3-0.5 mg/l concentration which is the norm for drinking water. UV De-Chlorination is temperature dependent and in Industrial applications UV dedicated temperature sensors are used to adjust the UV wavelength dependent upon RO Outlet temperature.

 

RO water dispensers don't have automatic UV compensation and since ambient temperatures in Bangkok are currently quite high it makes the UV De-Chlorination process less efficient therefor a slight increase in free chlorine (not to be confused with total chlorine).

 

Water Treatment Plants and Waste Water Treatment Plants are just a small part of Balance of Plant on a Thermal Power Plant

 

 

[baa99]

Do you mean UV intensity instead of wavelength? Isn't the wavelength set by the gases used in the UV tube?

[Mekong]

No I mean Wavelength. Common logic dictates that UV intensity would be the variable whereas its not.

 

UV De-Chlorination uses high intensity UV which is 15 - 30 times greater than required for disinfection.

 

Free Chlorine normally requires a wavelength of 185 nanometers whereas chloramines require between 245-365 nanometers, increase in temperature equates to greater production of chloramines (approx double for every 5.7C temperature increase) hence the reason why wavelength is adjusted.

[YimSiam]

I seem to recall (and my apologies for cowardly veering off from the technical discussion underway, which is way out of my league) about ten years ago, living in Bangkok the Metropolitan authorities had declared Bangkok tap water safe for drinking. Bold move. Hong Kong, okay. Bangkok, no.

[cavanami]

For me, I would never drink the tap water anywhere in Thailand!

 

I have a meter that measures the junk in the water. Distilled water is shown at near 0, as it should be.

 

Tap water, 200++ (my meter only reads to 199.99)

 

RO machines, anywhere from 5 to 200++. The 200++ RO machines have their filters/process bypassed and I

find this in 98% of the machines. The Thais do not do maintenace, pretty much on anything, IMO.

 

I see a small RO machine at Thaiwatsadu for 7000 Baht or so, but can this really do the job?

 

The larger RO machines on the street cost 20,000 Baht and up. I called and priced several.

[Flashermac]

No I mean Wavelength. Common logic dictates that UV intensity would be the variable whereas its not.

 

UV De-Chlorination uses high intensity UV which is 15 - 30 times greater than required for disinfection.

 

Free Chlorine normally requires a wavelength of 185 nanometers whereas chloramines require between 245-365 nanometers, increase in temperature equates to greater production of chloramines (approx double for every 5.7C temperature increase) hence the reason why wavelength is adjusted.

 

 

I love it when you talk dirty.