ONE wonders how much water-related woes encountered by consumers predominantly in the Klang Valley and the rural areas can be alleviated within 100 days following the ‘ambitious’ five main targets set by Environment and Water Minister (KASA) Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man on Sept 7.
While it remains to be seen how much positive changes can be derived from the five targets, Tuan Man should be credited for ‘pushing’ KASA to:
- Develop a systematic, fair and transparent Water Tariff Setting Mechanism. This mechanism will ensure the long-term financial strength of the water operators which will provide better quality of water supply services to consumers;
- Complete 11 new projects to solve water supply problems in five rural areas at a cost of RM468,000 through the funding of Wakaf Air (18 projects are expected to be completed by 2021);
- Target the production of four million litres of reused water from sewerage effluents by 2021 through exploring alternative water resources and the promotion of circular economy;
- Achieve an increase in water supply coverage from 96.9% to 97% to support the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 initiative; and
- Increase the national water reserve margin rate to 13.2% from the current rate 13% by end-2021.
Speaking at the opening of the four-day Malaysia International Water Convention 2021 (MIWC 2021), Tuan Man said KASA has identified 12 out of 30 initiatives specifically to transform the country’s water sector, including water resources, water supply services and sewerage systems.
This includes the increase of treated water margin reserves, reduction in non-revenue water rates, financial sustainability of operators and exploration of alternative resources including the use of wastewater.
Taking a chapter from the above five targets, it is hoped that the PAS Kubang Kerian MP will also swiftly resolve the rampant – and ever recurring – water disruptions across many districts in the Klang Valley.
As highlighted by New Straits Times reader Saleh Mohammed in a letter to editor dated Oct 20, 2020, identifying culprits of water pollution which led to numerous supply disruptions – only for them (often repeat offenders) to be slapped with highly affordable compound – will not resolve the issue.
Apart from the need to adequately visit the root cause of the matter, other big issues that need to be addressed include:
- High rates of non-revenue water (NRW), with the national average being 40 per cent and water wastages in the industrial and agricultural sectors. Unauthorised usage can be detected when volume supplied do not tally with billing amounts;
- Destruction and degradation of water catchments – many development projects may not have proper Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) studies done;
- Review water privatisation projects in all states, where transparency is lacking, and ensure all the covenants were adhered to;
- Structure-wise, there is no central agency to manage water resources that leads to conflicting or competing objectives and duplicated efforts;
- Security of water catchment areas, and it seems that many have yet to be gazetted; and
- Review outdated legislations – a compound of RM60,000 definitely will not cover the costs of providing water tanks to affected areas, treating the contaminated water, inconveniences caused and the negative publicity to foreign investors. – Sept 20, 2021
