Treated water reserve margin of six states below KPI

KUALA LUMPUR: Six states recorded a reserve margin of below 15 per cent in treated water during the second quarter of this year, said Deputy Minister of Environment and Water (KASA) Datuk Ahmad Masrizal Muhammad.

He said they are Johor (11.3 per cent); Sabah (8.3 per cent); Perlis (7.1 per cent); Selangor (1.5 per cent); Kelantan (-0.2 percent) and Kedah (-2.3 percent).

"KASA, through the National Water Services Commission (SPAN), which acts as the regulatory body of the national water services industry has set the KPI (Key Performance Indicators) of treated water margin reserves that need to be complied with and achieved by all state water operators at 10 to 15 percent," he told the Dewan Rakyat during questions for oral answers session today.

He was responding to a question from Datuk Ahmad Nazlan Idris (BN-Jerantut) on the ministry's initiative to address the low treated water reserve margin in the country and plans to increase water sources.

Ahmad Masrizal said for Selangor, completion of the Langat 2 Plant in 2023 will increase the treated water margin reserve to 10 percent.

For Kelantan, he said completion of the water treatment plant in Kg Teluk , scheduled next year, will increase the water margin reserve to four per cent.

"For Kedah, five plants, for which tenders have been approved, are expected to be completed in 2023 and they will increase the water reserve margin to 21 per cent," he added.

On the treated water margin reserve for the whole country, Ahmad Masrizal said, it is at 11.5 per cent, or 1.943 million litres per day as of the second quarter of this year.

He said apart from the construction of new water treatment plants and upgrading of existing treatment plants, the initiative to reduce non-revenue water (NRW), through replacement of old and damaged pipes, as well as repair of service tanks, is carried out to increase the national treated water margin reserve.

Meanwhile, in response to a question from Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing (GPS-Bintulu) on the approach to be taken to improve the drainage system, especially in urban areas that are prone to flash floods, Ahmad Masrizal said the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) is working closely with the local government authorities ( PBT) to address the problem.

"This can be done by further strengthening the mechanism for compliance with drainage reviews by DID in the process of applying for planning permission for a development.

"The importance of working with local government authorities has been emphasised in several papers presented at the National Water Council and the Environmentally Friendly Drainage Manual has also been approved for use by local authorities since 2000 through the Local Government National Council," he said.

-- BERNAMA