Water taps running dry in Selangor have somewhat become a joke… literally, comedian Jason Leong in his stand-up gig in Singapore drew laughter on how houses were knee-deep in flood waters but had no raw water supply from the taps. The reasons given for dry taps are mile-long, but despite having wet weather for nearly most part of the year it’s a wonder how dams can go dry and supply can be so unpredictable.
Recently, the state announced its Raw Water Guarantee Scheme (SJAM) project implemented to deal with water supply disruptions, Dato’ Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari said he is confident that the project with the allocation of over RM300 million of taxpayers’ money can reduce water disruption and pollution risks from upstream to downstream of Sungai Selangor.
According to him, the four-phase project also aims to ensure a sufficient supply of raw water if the state faces a drought. The Chief Minister said that based on the report from the Selangor Water Management Board (LUAS), all dams in Selangor can last four to six months if the state faces hot weather or the El Nino phenomenon. Under the scheme, the State will also create raw water reservation ponds in case the dams were inundated.
Water treatment in Sungai Selangor Phase 1 (SSP1), Phase 2 (SSP2), and Phase 3 (SSP3) often causes pollution. “If there is pollution in the Selangor water treatment plant (SSP1), (SSP2) and (SSP3) in the future, it will still be able to operate when the SJAM is ready by October,” he added.
The Selangor 2023 budget has allocated a huge amount to alleviate the nagging issue of water disruption that should not take place in the first place. An allocation of RM332 million for the scheme and another RM100 million was set aside to guarantee water treatment plant operations in the event of pollution.
With this let’s hope it ends with water woes in Selangor, and dry taps are of the past! Or the CM would have a big issue on his hands and will have to answer to residents about how the state is managing its resources.
