6.5.4 Sustainable water extraction on campus

Where water is extracted, Srinakharinwirot University (SWU) uses sustainable water extraction technologies on university grounds. At Ongkharak Campus, the University extracts surface water from two canals and produces its own tap water at an on-campus water production plant. Extraction is metered and managed, the raw water reservoir is managed to keep enough water in reserve for the dry season, and losses in the distribution network have been cut sharply, so less raw water needs to be extracted from the canals. These water extraction technologies were in place throughout 2025 and are designed to meet the needs of the campus and its location.

Water Extraction and Treatment at the Ongkharak Water Production Plant

Raw water is pumped from the Rangsit Prayurasak Canal and the Sisa Krabue Canal into an on-campus raw water reservoir with a capacity of 360,000 m³. It is then treated at the University's water production plant by coagulation and sedimentation with polyaluminium chloride (PAC), pre-disinfection with chlorine dioxide and pH adjustment with sodium hydroxide, three-layer filtration through anthracite, sand and gravel, and final disinfection with chlorine dioxide. Treated water is stored in a 1,450 m³ clear water tank and distributed through a 300 m³ elevated tank. The plant also serves as a learning site for students. The diagram below, published by the Sustainable Development Division, Office of the President, shows the tap water production process.

Source: https://sd.op.swu.ac.th/Check_water_quality

Metered and Managed Extraction

Bulk meters record the raw water pumped into the plant and the treated water distributed, and plant operators record the raw water meter and the elevated-tank supply meter as part of their routine work. The plant's operation is reported every month to University executives. In December 2025, routine work included reading the meters, draining sediment from the sedimentation tanks and the main distribution pipes twice a week, checking pipeline pressure, dosing chemicals, backwashing the sand filters, cleaning the sedimentation tanks, collecting raw and tap water samples for analysis, and repairing the pipe network. The image below, from the plant's monthly report, shows reading the raw water meter, draining sediment from the main distribution pipes and checking pressure in the main pipeline (top), and collecting water samples, backwashing the sand filters and repairing the pipe network (bottom).

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Less Water Extracted Through Lower Network Losses

In 2025, the plant distributed 650,866 m³ of treated water, of which 601,525 m³ was recorded by building meters (see SDG 6.2.1). Annual records published by the Sustainable Development Division show that the volume of water the plant has to produce fell by 47%, from 1,220,505 m³ in 2018 to 650,866 m³ in 2025. This is mainly because losses in the distribution network were reduced from 492,101 m³ (50.3% of the water distributed) in 2021 to less than 8% each year since 2023, so less raw water needs to be pumped from the canals.

Water Supply from the Ongkharak Campus Water Production Plant, 2018–2025 (m³)

Data from the Sustainable Development Division, Office of the President, water statistics for Ongkharak Campus.

Source: https://sd.op.swu.ac.th/water_statistics

Weekly Testing of Tap Water Quality

The quality of the water produced by the plant is tested every week against the tap water quality standards of the Provincial Waterworks Authority. Sampling and testing are carried out by the water supply unit, Building and Utilities Section, under the Sustainable Development Division, and the results are published each month. Each result covers residual chlorine, colour, turbidity, pH and hardness. The examples below show results for samples taken on 12 May 2025, 24 November 2025 and 29 December 2025, all within the standards.

Source: https://sd.op.swu.ac.th/Check_water_quality