Water from the irrigation canal to the west of the city is being trans¬ferred to the moat ahead of the fes¬tival while chlorine was added to the moat a few weeks ago to kill off germs.

A Japanese purification machine is being used to clean the water and its owner, Isao Masuda from the Japanbased Octocooperation Company, is supervising work at the moat.

More than 80 per cent of the ingredients, such as volcano soil, used in the cleaning process are natural and will become food for the moat's inhabitants, Masuda said.

It takes 60 hours for the dirty water to become clean and odour¬less.

"With the machine, the moat water will be clearer, odourless and bacteriafree", said Chiang Mai Mayor Boonlert Buranupakorn.

The municipality has conduct¬ed daily random checks at 20 points to assure it is safe. Currently, the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) of the moat water is between 2.57 milligrams per litre, which is considered safe, and pH stands at 6.77.2, said the mayor.

The two types of bacteria found in the moat that caused residents trouble a few years ago no longer exist, confirming the water is safe, said Boonlert.

So far, only two points have been reported unsafe; the stretch in front of the Loke Molee temple on the northern side and the southeast Ka Tum corner. However, munic¬ipal staff confirmed that both places would be safe before the Songkran holiday as oxygen was being injected at these spots.

People splashing in the moat are warned to keep away from the red and white floats, which mark the deep water. The depth of the moat ranges from one to more than three metres.

Large boards at the Tha Pae gate will give the BOD, pH and tem¬perature of the water.

by Atsadaporn Kamthai

Citylife, Chiang Mai