25 illegal water connections dismantled
Published on: Friday, October 11, 2019
By: Stefyanie Myla Micheal
KOTA KINABALU: Twenty-five illegal water connections were dismantled during an operation by the Sabah Water Department in Kg Suang Parai, Manggatal, Thursday.
Its enforcement officers Azmi Sabli and Vilina John from the corporate department with the appointed contractor carried it out in two identified locations within Kg Suang Parai at 9am. State Water Department Director Datuk Amarjit Singh said the water supplied to that area is from the Telibong 1 water-plant.
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“This particular water-plant supply the five million litre capacity reservoir located in Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and have the water streamed to 1Borneo area, Kingfisher, Jalan Sulaman and Likas area,” he said.
He said the department received many complaints from residents of the said areas saying that they faced a drop in water pressure.
“Upon inspection, there was no problem with water production from the plant but we detected a low level in our reservoir, which is weird. So I asked Azmi to find out what’s happening,” he said. After two weeks of recce, they found out there were many illegal water connections.
Amarjeet said illegal connections not only leave a significant impact in terms of revenue loss but also to the department itself where a loss of Non-revenue water (NRW) level is remarkable.
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“That is why it is hard for me to reduce the NRW rate which has been rigid at 52pc till today,” he said in a media conference in Wisma Muis.
He said the department has been given the mandate by the government to pilot the prepaid water metre system project in Pulau Gaya and to have it replicated in other areas.
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“Please stop stealing water, the state government will find a suitable mechanism to solve this issue and as I said earlier, the prepaid water metre system is one of the possible solution and the best way to get a clean water supply,” he said.
The prepaid water meter supply system for Pulau Gaya was mulled in early September to solve water woes in Pulau Gaya through a new prepaid water meter supply system which will offer islanders a much cheaper rate than what they are now paying.
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