Nearly 800km of old pipes in Selangor have been replaced since last year, as part of the state government’s efforts to replace at least 300km of piping a year to lower the risk of burst pipes.
State executive councillor for infrastructure and agriculture Dato’ Izham Hashim said this is part of a phasic comprehensive programme to replace around 5,200km of old pipes.
“We used to replace 150km a year, but it has been hiked to 300km as most asbestos cement pipes only last around 20 years. There are those that were in use for 40 years and burst… That’s why we increased our target to 300km a year even though replacement costs reached RM400 million to RM450 million,” he told.
Izham said the main challenge is that the pipe network passes dense residential areas and workers must avoid various underground utilities.
“The problem isn’t the cost, but the execution. Many pipe networks involve dense areas with underground cables and other utilities, so I’ve ordered that replacement permits be done early. For next year’s project, applications and approvals are being done this year,” he said.
