The Star Online: Metro: Central
The Star Online: Metro: Central |
| Suggestions for residents and Syabas on ways to counter water shortage Posted: 24 May 2013 05:46 PM PDT A CONSUMER group and a town planning expert have a few suggestions to resolve the constant water supply disruptions in the Klang Valley. Water and Energy Consumer Association of Malaysia (Wecam) secretary-general Foon Weng Lian said one of the things that individuals could do was harvest rainwater. "Harvesting rainwater is easy. Just fill a pail or two when it rains and you can use it for gardening or washing your car," said Foon. He said it was a waste to use treated water to wash cars, flush toilets, water plants and in irrigation. "Based on research and studies done, harvesting rainwater can effectively reduce the water bill by 20% to 30%, and in some cases, up to 60%," he added. Foon said there were some areas with water surplus and Syabas could distribute it to areas with higher demand. "This has been done in parts of northern Thailand where surplus water is distributed through a connected system," he said. He urged the public to be pro-active in getting information themselves. "In times of supply disruption, they should check the website for water tanker schedules and locations," said Foon. He added that the water supply disruption in a few areas in the Klang Valley, such as Wangsa Maju and Subang Jaya. recently could have been caused by the dry spell. "In this case, Syabas and the Meteorology Department should work together and inform the public that there will be a water supply disruption in a few weeks so that the public can take the necessary measures to collect water," said Foon. Meanwhile, Malaysian Institute of Planners (MIP) president Prof Datuk Dr Alias Abdullah said local councils and the state and federal governments should control the approval for development plans. "With each new building plan, there will be an increase in water demand. "The local councils should ensure that there will be enough water for future users," said Dr Alias. He added that an experienced water concessionaire could construct water processing plants outside the Klang Valley, such as in Perak, Pahang or Negri Sembilan. "The water can be processed there and sent back to the city. This will help alleviate shortage," said Dr Alias. |
| Water treatment plants and reserves not designed to produce the needed amount Posted: 24 May 2013 05:47 PM PDT SYARIKAT Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Syabas) has urged Klang Valley folk to reduce water usage due to the critical water levels of reservoirs in the state. Chief operating officer Datuk Lee Miang Koi said the situation had become worrying lately due to the increasing demand from consumers in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Putrajaya, especially with the hot weather. "Recently, there were several areas that experienced unscheduled disruptions. "This is due to the increasing demand for treated water that exceeds distribution capacity," he told reporters in a press conference to clarify the water issue at Syabas headquarters in Jalan Pantai Baru, Kuala Lumpur yesterday. He added that the demand for water in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Putrajaya had increased 3.5% from last year. Lee said up to May, the demand for water supply was at 4,638mil litres a day, compared to the collective production capacity which is at 4,661mil litres a day. The 34 treatment plants under Syabas were unable to cope with demand. "Some of the treatment plants are already operating above capacity to meet the high demand," he added. Lee also said calculations had showed that the situation would continue to deteriorate when the water reserves run out. "Our records from last year to-date, show that the high demand has caused water reserve levels to be very low. "In May alone, the water reserve level was at 19.83mil litres, which is only 0.43%. "By July 2014, the water reserve will be all used up. "This shows that the capacity has to be increased immediately and demand to be controlled," said Lee. He highlighted that water reserves should be at 10% of production capacity. "Consumers can also try to reduce usage. Water usage per head per day was 214 litres. "In developed countries, the average usage per head per day was 150 litres. "If consumers can reduce their usage by 10%, it will greatly increase the level of the water reserves," Lee said. He explained that the frequent disruptions over the past few months was due to the decreasing water supply. "When the demand for water is at its peak, the water pressure is low and some areas may face disruptions. "These areas are usually on higher ground or at the end of the water distribution system. "We have also identified these as water stress areas. "If water distribution capacity is not increased, there will be more areas under this status," he added. Lee said there were 35 disruption-prone areas in the five districts of Petaling, Hulu Langat, Kuala Lumpur, Gombak and Klang/Shah Alam. "We hope that the consumers understand the situation so that they will use water sparingly. "We also urge the public to contact us if there are burst pipes or cases of people stealing water, so that we can act immediately to reduce water loss," he said. When quizzed by reporters on a permanent solution for the problem, Lee said the state government would have to look into a long-term plan to increase supply capacity in the Klang Valley. |
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