Raw deal for water

By CHUA SZE CHIH
As a resident of Selangor, I must voice out my views on its water supply services.

Before moving into the apartment I am staying now, I was very unhappy at the place I had rented because the landlord had not installed water filters, and the other tenants were all office workers who could not afford to install them too.

So there were several years, when we had to use raw water directly from the taps. When I first saw the raw water, I was horrified as it looked like teh tarik. I was shocked when I saw the khaki-colour water. I even tried to create a simple DIY filter, by wrapping cotton cloth around the tap. But it failed. I had also bought plastic filters and cheap water filters from the supermarket. But none proved useful. As they all could only filter drinking water, but not water for washing or bathing. I finally understood why water filter companies have so good business.


When I asked some of my colleagues who were renting places, I found that many of them were in the same situation. There is, however, no channel for complaints, and yet we cannot live without water. We had no alternative but to learn to live with the raw water.

Since I did not have the courage to wash my face with the brown-coloured water, I adopted a method in which I would turn on the tap and let the dirty water flow for a while, and convince myself that the dirty water has run off before washing my body with it. I used the same strategy during bathing. Only God knew how much water I had wasted during that time? Particularly during a time when the world was short of water, I felt really guilty with what I did.

But sometimes, the raw water got worse, such as during heavy rain. It actually changed from teh tarik to Neslo. It even stank of rust. Such water can really make you go crazy and feel depressed. Isn’t the city I was residing in an advanced one? So how could I be deprived of even the most basic of all supplies: clean water?

Recently, the water supply in Selangor has seriously deteriorated. Not only would there not be clean water supply, but we may have to face a water crisis in two years’ time. I had thought that after the privatization of the water supply, citizens could begin to enjoy water supply services with high-quality and high efficiency. But after so many years, there is still no access to clean water, and we are forced to spend money to install water filter systems. What’s more, we also have to face the pressure of hikes in water prices. And now we have to face the threat of water shortages.

Water is the source of life for everyone, and should not be used as a tool for political competition or as a profit-making commodity. All plans concerned with the life-giving water should be made in interests of the citizens. If the existing water company mismanaged, people have the right to change to another company. The Selangor state government has proposed to retract the rights of water management and reorganize its industry. If it is for the welfare and well-being of the people, it should be supported.

Access to clean water is a fundamental right. When we turn on the tap, the water that flows out should be clean. It should stop being a nightmare for ordinary folks. - Sin Chew Daily