SPAN: Piped water safe to drink

KUALA LUMPUR: The National Water Service Commission (SPAN) has confirmed that the country’s water supply is not only clean and safe to consume directly, but also free of the E. coli bacteria.

SPAN said it fully supported Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Dr A. Xavier Jayakumar’s recent statement that it was safe to drink water directly from the tap.

“The treated water supplied to Malaysians complies with the minimum quality standards set by the Health Ministry based on the water quality guideline issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO),” said SPAN chief executive officer Datuk Mohd Ridhuan Ismail yesterday.

He said water operators, the Health Ministry and SPAN conducted regular checks to ensure that the water supply was safe.

“Water operators regularly analyse the physical, chemical and microbiological parameters of the water quality to ensure that the water treatment process is up to par.”

At the same time, Ridhuan said, the Health Ministry, which introduced the Drinking Water Quality Surveillance Programme in 1983, monitored the water quality provided by water operators.

He said the ministry regularly collected samples from water plants and distribution systems.

“No less than 38 types of physical, chemical and microbiological parameters are analysed, starting from the water treatment plant intake to the distribution system,” he said, adding that the analyses were a joint effort with the Chemistry Department. “There are 6,108 sampling stations at all 500 water treatment plants and distribution systems nationwide, with more than 186,000 samples.

“SPAN also conducts periodic audits to ensure that treatments are effective.”

Ridhuan refuted reports that pipe water contained E. coli.

He said E. coli was among the microbiology parameters analysed continuously by water operators and the Health Ministry.

Results, he said, showed that the water supply system was free of the bacteria.

“Chlorination is the most effective way to kill bacteria.

“At the last stage of treatment before water is distributed, water operators must ensure that there is a free chlorine residue of at least 0.2l/mg (milligramme per litre) in the treated water to kill E.coli bacteria that may exist if there is pollution in the supply system.”

SPAN also conducts periodic audits to ensure that treatments are effective. DATUK MOHD RIDHUAN ISMAIL

National Water Service Commission chief executive officer