‘Several areas in Bau dry due to near-empty water storage tank’
KUCHING: Water supply to several parts of Bau town was disrupted yesterday morning, apparently due to the near- empty water storage tank in Seringgok.
According to PKR Mas Gading branch chairman Boniface Willy Tumek, who is also state PKR vice chairman, the day was saved by Kuching Water Board ( KWB) which rushed water tankers to replenish the water tank.
“It appears that the level of water in the storage tank was not closely monitored. The Bau District Council and Bau District Office were among those hit by the disruption.
“This was another episode in the long-running water supply problems in Bau District. Just two days ago, folk of Kampung Apar were complaining of low water pressure in several parts of the village, which they said had been going on for four days,” he said in a press statement received here yesterday.
Boniface said it was previously thought that because water supply in the district was managed by the Public Works Department, there was not enough focus on the management of water supply in the district.
“Hopes for a more efficient supply system were high when a special department namely Rural Water Supply Department (JBALB) was created to take over the management of water supply in the rural areas. Sadly, the situation has not improved much since the takeover.”
He said his party had been told that some of the contributory factors to the erratic supply of water are changes made to the storage tanks, standard operating procedure ( SOP) governing how JBALB responds to emergencies like broken pipes and spoiled valves, and monitoring the level of water in the tanks.
“For example, the storage tank facing the T-junction at Kpg Sibuluh was originally meant to function as a high-level tank with the water level always at the maximum.
“It was recently changed to function as a balancing tank whereby water flowing into the tank will automatically stop once the float inside is at a balanced position. Emergency repairs too have faced increased bureaucratic measures.
“It seems that contractors are now required to submit quotations before work orders could be issued. This becomes a problem when an emergency occurs during nonoffice hours.”
Boniface thus strongly urged JBALB to relook at the way they are managing water supply in Bau District and to immediately take measures that will ensure the efficient delivery of water.