Selangor Water Industry Restructuring Gets The Thumbs Up

Steps to restructure the Selangor water industry has been welcomed by various quarters as it will enable the water supply infrastructure in the state to be upgraded and ensure that treated water supply is channelled more efficiently at all times.

Describing it as the best move to solve the current water shortage in the state, Association of Water and Energy Research Malaysia (AWER) president S. Piarapakaran praised the action of the Selangor government, which finally agreed to the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the federal government to enable the restructuring.

"So I hope that in the next few years, we can repair the infrastructure. Actually the water problem that we face is more inclined to an infrastructural problem and not weather-related," he told Bernama here.

The federal government and Selangor state government today signed the MoU pertaining to the restructuring of the Selangor water industry that had stalled since 2008.

Following the signing of the MoU, the construction of the Langat 2 Water Treatment Plant (Langat 2) and its distribution system (LRAL2) is expected to be ready by 2017.

Piarapakaran said the Langat 2 plant, a long-term measure to ensure continual water supply in Selangor, was capable of processing 1,200 million litres per day.

Asked if raw water supply would still pose a problem due to the current water shortage in the state even though Langat 2 would be built, he said, the plant would use a different source of raw water.

"In this situation, the raw water for the Langat 2 plant is not sourced from Selangor. It is brought from Pahang across the Titiwangsa range through a tunnel under the Pahang-Selangor raw water supply project," he said.

Meanwhile, National Water and Energy Consumers Association (Wecam) secretary-general Foon Weng Lian said the agreement was a good starting point between the federal government and Selangor government in the water sector development to ensure continuous supply to consumers.

Foon, who is also Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) secretary-general, said the transparent approach that focused on the consumers' interest was needed to ensure the useful plan could be implemented with success.

"It is hoped that all parties involved in the matter can work closely, create effective communication with all approaches inclined towards the interest of the consumers and not politics.

"If possible, set up a panel or independent committee comprising membership from the National Water Services Commission, consumer associations, experts in the water research field as third parties to monitor the working of the restructuring," he said.

Forum Air Malaysia senior executive Nuraini Khalil said the restructuring should be implemented immediately given that Selangor was one of the states that had to conduct the process.

Nuraini, who referred to a report on the 'Malaysia Water Industry Guide 2013,' said the state, which undertook a restructuring and migrated to a new licensing regime, had a good record from the aspect of non-revenue water.

"As such, the restructuring will bring benefits to all residents in the state because water supply services can be undertaken systematically and efficiently with transparency, besides providing clean and safe water, that can be supplied continuously to consumers," she said.

-- BERNAMA