KUALA LUMPUR – Water supply should be fully restored to all affected areas in Selangor by Friday, state Infrastructure and Agriculture exco Izham Hashim said.
The seven areas affected began receiving water as early as 8am today after the four water treatment plants affected resumed operations yesterday.
“Residential areas with low water pressure may take a bit longer, but most users will receive water supply within 24 hours,” Bernama reports Izham as saying.
The affected treatment plants are Rantau Panjang, and the Sg Selangor Phase 1, Phase 2 and Phase 3 plants.
A total of seven areas in the Klang Valley had been affected by the unscheduled disruption, namely, the Petaling district, Klang, Shah Alam, Gombak, Kuala Lumpur, Hulu Selangor and Kuala Selangor, after odour pollution was detected in several rivers in Selangor.
Izham said that the polluters had been identified and were issued a compound notice by Selayang Municipal Council.
Meanwhile, state Public Health and Environment exco Jamaliah Jamaluddin said the odour pollution was caused by a factory processing acrylic materials for recycling.
Checks by the Selangor Water Management Board (LUAS) and related parties found that effluent from a leaking tank had caused a substance, believed to be scheduled waste polymethacrylic acid (PMAA), to overflow into drains and ditches up to Sg Kuang.
Jamaliah in a statement said the overflow had entered the nearby rivers of Sg Kundang and Sg Sembah, where LUAS detected odour pollution.
“LUAS has ordered the premises to stop the discharge and carry out cleaning works immediately, as the negligence posed a risk to nearby water treatment plants,” she said.
LUAS carried out deodourisation and dilution of the contaminants in the affected rivers, besides pumping in more water to accelerate the flow of polluted materials away from the water treatment plants’ intake points, Jamaliah added.
LUAS has also started an investigation into the incident. – July 24, 2024