IF YOU ever encounter the unpleasant situation of sewage and waste water flowing back into your premises, the root cause of the problem could either be you or someone you know.
There are about 14,000km of underground sewage pipes connecting more than 5,500 sewage treatment plants maintained by Indah Water Konsortium (IWK).
IWK Communications Depart-ment manager Shahrul Nizam Sulaiman said only waste from the toilet and kitchen would be directed to the sewer pipes.
“But the things that one can find in there are shocking.
Difficult work: IWK workers trying to clear a blockage by breaking up the hardened effluents.
“Many people take the easy way out by disposing of unwanted material into the sewer pipelines, causing clogging that eventually backfires on them.
“These blockages are mainly caused by rubbish, solid waste or hardened grease obstructing the flow of sewage and waste water in the underground pipes,” he said.
StarMetro was taken on a tour by IWK to watch a blockage clearing exercise in Jalan Anggerik Aranda 31/43 in Kota Kemuning, Shah Alam, where complaints were received from the residents of a back flow.
Shahrul said they would identify the pipes affected and use a jetter truck to shoot water at high pressure to release the blockage.
Sometimes, if solid materials were found, their men have to manually remove it while endangering their lives due to the high exposure to methane gas.
The blockage was identified to be in the underground pipelines located at the backlane of a row of shops.
Taken out: Mujiburahman showing the missing parts in the controls room.
Upon opening the manhole covers on both ends, thick layers of hardened grease were found to be the cause.
“This is predictable. Usually, areas with many restaurants are prone to blockages. Proper grease traps are a rarity in neighbourhood restaurants.
“All that are thrown into the kitchen sink, especially oil and fats flow into the sewage system and solidify, causing blockages,” he said.
Later the StarMetro team was taken to a sewage treatment plant in Taman Perindustrian Kinrara in Seksyen 1, Shah Alam, where illegal discharge was detected.
IWK customer service and public relations executive Mujiburahman Mohamed pointed out that the blackish waste water in the plant was a sign of non-sewage material.
“The normal colour should be dark brown. This is an industrial area and a lot of paint and recycling factories are in the area.
“We suspect these companies throw their chemical waste into the sewer lines through the toilet bowls, kitchen sinks, inspection chamber located in front or at the back of every premises or straight into the manhole,” he said.
These sewage treatment plants also become a target for thieves for the cables and copper material.
“The most recent theft occurred at the end of May at the network pumping station in Kemuning Utama in Seksyen 30, Shah Alam.
Dirty: The waste water in the sewage treatment plant in Taman Perindustrian Kinrara in Seksyen 1, Shah Alam is blackish in colour, a sign of illegal non-sewage discharge.
“They gained entry through cutting the wire fence and breaking the locks to the control room. The loss is estimated at RM110,000.
“It takes time for us to repair the plant and this affects our services.
“Annually, we suffer losses of about RM15mil. The public must know that sewage treatment plants are dangerous and many fatal accidents have occurred,” he said.
Shahrul said the people had to change their mentality and take a holistic approach in their daily lives.
“The people should be more conscious of the environment and dispose of rubbish properly. Companies should also dispose of their waste into proper channels and not only think about making profits.
“The public can also alert the police or IWK if any suspicious characters are spotted in or around sewage treatment plants.
“With the cooperation of all parties, we can enhance our services and strive for a safer and healthier environment,” he said.
Indah Water sewerage service is to ensure that sewage and waste water are treated in the public sewage treatment plants to safeguard public health, protect water resources and long-term preservation of the environment.
For details or enquires, call 1-800-88-3495, fax 03-20956002, e-mail care@iwk.com.my or visit www.iwk.com.my.
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