The need for water conservation and recycling

I am frustrated every time I see my neighbours run clean water onto the ground while hosing their plants and lawn. Of course, they can pay the bills but what about the fact that water is scarce and children in some rural areas have to filter dirt out so they can drink it?

I wish Thais would learn more about how neighbouring Singaporeans treat their precious water. During a recent visit, I was taken to NEWater, a state facility where used water from residential and office buildings is treated with state-of-the-art technology.

Most of the treated water is brought back for industrial use, but an increasing amount is put in a raw-water reservoir for domestic consumption. It says the public can trust that "its purity is higher than tap water". The treated water is put in cute bottles for free distribution at sports and community events. Of course, that water came from all sources, including those you may not want to think of, such as kitchens and bathrooms. With a 100-per-cent sewer connection, all wastewater is collected and treated.

You might say the Singaporeans have taken water conservation too far. But consider this: The city state of 4.4 million has no major water catchments. Their water comes from three major sources: water imported from Malaysia, desalinated water from the sea and recycled wastewater. All are expensive options, but according to Singapore's Public Utilities Board, recycling is cheaper than desalination and more secure than importing.

True, the tiny urban island does not have a choice but to conserve water. But they are not the only people who maximise the use of this precious resource. In Tokyo and other Japanese cities, for example, office buildings and apartment complexes have simple, on-site water-treatment systems that send the treated water back to the buildings, mainly for flushing toilets.

In Bangkok, the attitude toward water seems to be the opposite. A friend almost screamed when she saw an advertisement for a new luxury condominium project in Sukhumvit, which boasts that every unit has a private swimming pool. She wondered how, in this age of global warming, someone can get away with promoting a project that seems the ultimate waste of energy and water.

A colleague from California said this kind of project is probably unthinkable where he comes from. He said, "It would not get government approval."

I almost asked Governor Apirak Kosayodhin, our global-warming "champion", whether he would make water conservation mandatory for Bangkok's buildings. I decided not to because I did not want to be disappointed. Would I not be naive to expect him to enforce water conservation in the building code while he does not even have the political courage to make Bangkokians pay directly for wastewater treatment?

Meanwhile, my neighbours continue to run tap water to the ground just to make sure their lawn is green all year, while the Irrigation Department tells farmers every summer to think twice before planting their second crops, as there might not be enough water for the plants.