RM27m lost via water theft

> SPAN probing 14 cases involving 12m cubic metres of stolen water

KUALA SELANGOR: The National Water Services Commission (SPAN) yesterday revealed that an estimated RM27.5 million worth of treated water was lost through water theft in Peninsular Malaysia so far this year.

Air Selangor corporate communications chief Amin Lin Abdullah said the figure arose from 14 cases that water authorities are investigating involving more than 12 million cubic metres of non-revenue water (NRW).

“We have so far issued 14 notices involving (more than) 12 million cubic metres of water, and the estimated loss is RM27.5 million,” Amin told reporters after going on a joint raid by Air Selangor and SPAN yesterday.

He said these are the cases detected so far this year, including a chicken farm and processing facility which was raided at noon yesterday.

The farm, he said, was found to have been using intercepting pipes.

Amin said it is estimated that the farm had used 56,642 cubic metres of NRW with an estimated value of RM129,145 and the owner of the facility would be made to pay the arrears. He said the theft was conducted by installing an intercepting pipe before underground water pipes meet the premises’ water meter, siphoning off large amounts of water which was then stored in 20 500-litre tanks for day to day usage while the bill was kept to a minimum.

Amin added that the business registered a water account under the name Kwan Wah Seong in 2012 which was billed an average of RM5,000 a month until September 2015, when water bills dropped to a mere RM36 per month.

In addition to settling the arrears, SPAN Corporate Communications and Consumer Affairs Unit director Hisyam Samad said the factory’s owner would also be facing charges.

“If found guilty under Section 123(1) of the Water Services Industry Act, the accused can be sentenced under Section 123(3) of the same Act and fined no more than RM100,000, a jail term of no longer than a year, or both on conviction,” Hisyam said.

He hoped the joint raid would raise awareness on water theft and serve as a deterrent to those stealing water.