Ministry recommends SOP review for water treatment plant operators

The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry has suggested for the review of the standard operating procedures (SOP) for water treatment plant operators to identify the kind of odour that would allow them to shut down operations.

This is so that the plant's shutdown would not affect the water supply to consumers, according to its Minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.

"So far, only the Selangor Water Management Authority (Luas) monitors the odour parameter, although this is not required in raw water supply monitoring by the Health Ministry," he said in a statement.

He explained that the Department of Environment (DOE) under his ministry did not have the odour parameter under the National Water Quality Standard for river water.

He said the integrated team that was established following the pollution incident in Sungai Buah which resulted in the closure of the Semenyih water treatment plant will immediately asses the odour sampling methods implemented by Luas.

"This is to check whether it complies with the recommended standards," Wan Junaidi added.