Malaysians must stop wasting water

Malaysians are still using an average of 250 litres of water or about 160 bottles of 1.5-litre water, per person daily, despite the water crisis and the ongoing water rationing plan implemented in Selangor.

"Unless the consumers changes their behaviour and reduce water consumption, the water rationing plan will not work to overcome the current water crisis," said Water Association of Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya president Aldric Loong Kim Yew.

He said right now, Malaysians had the highest water consumption rate in Southeast Asia, with the average person using between 220 and 250 litres a day.

"Out of the 220 to 250 liters we use daily, only 30 percent are for actual consumption like for cooking and drinking, while the rest of it is just for utilities like washing cars, washing pools and washing clothes every day.

"This (water consumption rate) is high compared to our neighbouring countries such as Thailand with only about 160 to 170 litres per day per person, Singapore (130-150 litres per day per person) and Indonesia (140-160 litres per day per person) " he told Bernama here recently.

Loong said if Malaysian were able to reduce the demand of water consumption gradually by 30 percent, the impact could overcome the water crisis.

He also said he believed that water, which has come way too easy and cheap for Malaysians, has made them surrendered their ability to appreciate and be grateful of what they have.

Meanwhile, Water and Energy Consumers Association of Malaysia (WECAM) secretary-general Foon Weng Lian, urged both the federal and state governments to find a solution to change consumers' habit of wasting water.

Foon said although the government were trying to increase water supply with the construction of Langat 2 water treatment plant, it could hardly solve the water crisis in the Klang Valley.

"Consumers need to know how to save water. Even if we have 100 water industry-related projects, it will not be enough in the future," he added.

The water rationing plan in the Klang Valley began on March 2, involving 6.7 million consumers in six districts, namely, Gombak, Kuala Lumpur, Petaling, Klang/Shah Alam, Kuala Selangor and Hulu Selangor.

Last Tuesday, Menteri Besar Selangor Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim was reported as saying that the water rationing exercise in Selangor would continue as the water level at the Sungai Selangor dam was at the critical level and could only last 29 days.

Further decision on the plan would be announced next week, he said.