SYABAS tells Khalid to not confuse public

Water concessionaire Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (SYABAS) refuted accusations by Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim that the company had failed to come up with a Scheduled Water Distribution Plan.

SYABAS added that he should also stop confusing the public over the water supply issue in the state.

Clearing the air, SYABAS Technical Development executive director Ir V. Subramaniam said that SYABAS had repeatedly informed the state government since 2008 on the possibility of a water shortage crisis and proposed many projects to develop and improve water supply distribution.

However, they were rejected.

On the water rationing, Subramaniam said the plan was already tabled at the Selangor Economic Action Council (SEAC) on Feb 18.

He said the plan was prepared following the closure of the Batu 11 Cheras and Bukit Tampoi water treatment plants.

The plants were closed due to ammonia pollution in Sungai Langat since Jan 28.

“Following the incident, the state government submitted a plan for scheduled water distribution to the National Water Services Commission (SPAN) on Feb 21,” he said in a press statement, Tuesday.

He said SPAN on Monday approved the plan that is expected to affect 60,185 users in Hulu Langat, Kuala Langat and Sepang.

Under the plan, the affected areas will be divided into two zones where water will be pumped into Zone One for two days before it is channelled into Zone Two for another two days, and vice versa.

The water rationing period is expected to last for one month, starting on Feb 27 to Mar 31, refuting Khalid's earlier announcement that the state would begin water rationing on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, SYABAS also objected to the Selangor government’s proposal to carry out a large-scale water supply reduction in the state.

Abdul Khalid had said on Monday that the state government will begin reducing the amount of water released from the Sungai Selangor dam by 600 million litres per day and treated water supply by 500 million litres per day.

The move is expected to affect up to 750,000 homes and over 3 million users in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.

“SYABAS and the state government had a meeting on Feb 21 to discuss a proposal to reduce the amount of water released from the Sungai Selangor dam by 600 million litres per day and treated water supply by 500 million litres per day from five water treatment plants.”

“However, we did not execute the plan as it did not receive approval from SPAN.”

According to the Water Services Industry Act 2006 (WSIA 2006), only SPAN has the authority to approve such a plan.

“The proposal also did not take into account sensitive areas such as hospitals, dialysis centres, business outlets, factories and government offices.”

“Furthermore, SYABAS was only given two days by the state government to come up with a water distribution plan that covers the affected area at such a large scale even though the proposal has yet to get SPAN’s approval,” SYABAS added.

SYABAS also criticised the menteri besar for not complying with the Concession Agreement whereby the responsibility to control and supply raw water to water treatment operator concessionaires – Puncak Niaga (M) Sdn Bhd (Puncak Niaga), Syarikat Pengeluar Air Selangor (SPLASH), Konsortium ABASS Sdn Bhd (ABASS) and Konsortium Air Selangor (KASB) is under his and the state government’s purview.