Water slowly flowing in

Semenyih treatment plant resumes operation

PETALING JAYA: The Sungai Semenyih water treatment plant is back in operation following a disruption due to odour pollution of its raw water supply.

Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Air Selangor) said the water treatment plant resumed operations at 1pm yesterday.

Its corporate communications head Abdul Halem Mat Som said the Bukit Tampoi water treatment plant remains inoperable.

He said there will be some delay in treating, producing and supplying treated water to consumers.

Air Selangor will update consumers on the latest developments from time to time, he said.

“As further measures to ensure the odour pollution does not increase in the Sungai Semenyih water treatment plant, Lembaga

Urus Air Selangor (LUAS) is also taking proactive measures by pumping water from Tasik Idaman to Sungai Semenyih in order to stablise and reduce the odour pollution.

“Air Selangor hopes that such pollution will not recur,” said Abdul Halem in a statement yesterday.

Air Selangor, he said, is also adjusting the levels of the balancing reservoir and the flow into the distribution system of the areas affected in order to supply water to consumers.

“As this is an unscheduled cut on a larger scale, the recovery period for the water supply to consumers will vary from one area to another, depending on the geographic locations and altitude of the consumers’ premises.

“Air Selangor expects the water supply to completely resume in the Petaling, Hulu Langat, Kuala Langat and Sepang districts and some parts of Putrajaya in the next 72 hours,” said Abdul Halem.

Air Selangor will also continuously supply water using tankers frequently in order to help consumers cope with the unscheduled water cuts.

Abdul Halem said 11 operation centres in four districts will provide consumers with updates on the water distribution schedules by the tankers.

“Consumers are also urged to use public pipes made available in 18 different locations to get their water supply.

“Apart from that, Air Selangor is also distributing five-litre drinking water to consumers, especially those in non-landed residential areas.

“Up to noon yesterday, some 6,930 bottles of drinking water have been distributed,” he added.

Abdul Halem also urged consumers to be patient, adding that Air Selangor is taking proactive measures to resolve the matter as soon as possible.

Consumers will also be provided with up-to-date information via the Air Selangor mobile application, Facebook and its website www. airselangor.com.

Operations at both the water treatment plants were halted at 7.15am on Saturday after pollution was detected in Sungai Semenyih.

Earlier in the day, Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari had chaired an emergency meeting together with the state’s environment, green technology, science and consumer affairs committee chairman Hee Loy Sian, Air Selangor’s management as well as LUAS.

The Mentri Besar office, in a statement, said the state government plans to take legal action against the culprits responsible for the pollution.

The closure has affected some 336,930 account holders in 366 locations in Petaling, Hulu Langat, Kuala Langat and Sepang.