Thailand's First Hospital Water Security System Launched
Thailand launched its first hospital water security system at Bang Pla Ma Hospital in Suphan Buri, using solar-powered groundwater wells to ensure continuous clean water supply for medical facilities during emergencies and droughts.
The Department of Groundwater Resources has launched Thailand's first pilot "hospital water" project at Bang Pla Ma Hospital in Suphan Buri province, recognizing that hospitals require continuous access to clean water to save lives. The project aims to enhance water security for medical facilities while ensuring public services continue during all emergencies, including droughts, water supply disruptions, and natural disasters.
This initiative represents a major step in integrating water resource management with Thailand's public health system. Bang Pla Ma Hospital is one of two pilot hospitals nationwide, alongside Mae Thaeng Hospital in Chiang Mai, serving as a model for expansion to other hospitals across the country.
Tanongsakdi Lochusuk, director of the Groundwater Resources Regional Office 2 (Suphan Buri), emphasized that the department prioritizes water security for hospitals as essential infrastructure for public health. When hospitals have stable water sources, they can efficiently respond to emergencies and disasters. The hospital water project goes beyond infrastructure construction—it builds resilience into the national health system.
Rabphra Phromma, planning director of the Groundwater Resources Regional Office 2, explained that the system produces clean water continuously through four groundwater wells with 3-horsepower pumps powered by solar panels, feeding into a 100-cubic-meter storage tank 23 meters high. It supplies the hospital's daily requirement of 50-100 cubic meters. The system includes an iron filtration unit and a drinking water plant producing 2,000 liters per hour, enabling complete cycle production of clean groundwater for consumption and medical use while reducing energy costs through solar power—aligning with sustainable development and emissions reduction goals.
Dr. Surasak Luang-siritanya, deputy director of Bang Pla Ma Hospital, noted the 60-bed community hospital has operated since 1982, traditionally relying on groundwater. The aging system developed quality issues including scale and rust buildup. The modernization project supports efficient and comprehensive healthcare services. The hospital currently serves 500-800 outpatients daily, approximately 60 inpatients, and over 300 staff members. Plans for a new dialysis unit requiring high volumes of RO (Reverse Osmosis) water make this project critical for ensuring adequate clean water supply long-term.
"Clean water is the heart of a hospital, essential to every step of treatment—from patient meals to sterilizing medical instruments and dialysis," he stated. "Without quality water, medical care cannot function."
