Power failure causes dry taps in Telipok

THE Water Department will step up efforts to maintain its installations in Telipok, following complaints from a homeowner and apartment-dweller about the lack of a supply in their respective properties.

Consumers in Taman Putera Perdana were without water for three days last week.

On the other hand, taps in upper floor units at Angkasa Apartments ran dry around the same time.

Both residents provided Hotline with the location of their premises, as well as the dates when the disruptions began. This information was forwarded to the agency.

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A Department spokesman said its staff had been instructed to check on the condition of the agency’s equipment in both areas, including pumps and strainers, regularly.

He said this would ensure that the Department’s devices were functioning as they should.

“A control panel inside the pump-house for Taman Putera Perdana was repaired earlier this month,” he explained. “The power to the facility trips from time to time and a mechanism for the pump was damaged in one of these instances.”

He said the pump often had to be manually reactivated after an electricity disruption.

Water Department staff checking on the balancing tanks for Taman Putera Perdana.

“Our pump operator has been asked to be more wary of any power outages and to be more prompt in switching on the device after the electricity is restored.

“We will monitor the progress of this work to try and prevent our consumers in the neighbourhood from being unnecessarily inconvenienced.”

The spokesman said the same was also being done at the Angkasa Apartments.

He said the Department’s technicians had a look at “the strainer” in the section of the distribution mains before the bulk-meter for the Apartments.

He explained that the device prevented impurities, such as bits of soil or plastic, from clogging up this pipe, hindering treated water from reaching the meter. “Our staff cleared any foreign objects which had been trapped by the strainer.

“They found that the strength of the supply before the metre to be strong.

A check was made of the strength of the water reaching the tanks for Taman Putera Perdana.

“At the time, they also climbed up to the balancing tanks for the property and confirmed that water was entering these receptacles.”

The spokesman said a similar check was made of the water-pressure and balancing tanks at Taman Putera Perdana.

“Our personnel noted that the strength of the water was ‘2 bars’ which was ‘good’.

“The level of the water inside the tanks was also acceptable, being about 8 metres high.”

SHAN of Telipok decried the irregular supply which those in Taman Putera Perdana had been receiving, saying that this was the second time this month that he had been without water for days at a time.

“Only air came out of the taps most of the time between July 4–8,” he said.

“This happened again from July 15-18.”

The pressure of the supply being channelled to the tanks was found to be ‘good’.

He said he had contacted the Department on numerous occasions about these disruptions.

Shan claimed, at one stage, he was told by the agency’s staff that this problem stemmed from the intermittent power supply to the water pump for the neighbourhood.

He could not understand why the agency had not dealt with this problem once and for all.

VIC, who lives on the fifth-floor at Angkasa apartments, said the taps in the unit frequently ran dry.

“It is impossible to cook at home, let alone have a bath, after coming from work,” he said.

“Our water woes have gradually been getting worse. At first, we would lose our supply once in a fortnight.

Off late this had been happening two to three days a week, according to Vic.

“I would occasionally see tankers around the blocks when there was a disruption.

“They would come to deliver water and those staying here would go down to fill up their buckets and containers. He said none of these vehicles were seen on the grounds during the recent water woes there.

The spokesman explained that the Department was facing an uphill task dealing with a shortage of tap water in “Northern region” of the State Capital.

Consequently, he said the agency had been forced to rationing the supply around Telipok. “This exercise also involves consumers in Inanam and Manggatal as the demand for tap water in these areas has exceeded the output from the existing treatment plants,” he said.

“Those living and working here will find the supply to their premises reduced, or notice a drop in water pressure, from the late afternoon till midnight.

“Their supply will only return to normal in the wee hours after we have refilled the R17-reservoir and the water levels at the installation have increased.”

The spokesman said the falling water levels at the reservoir were to blame for these supply woes which those in the neighbourhood experienced for several days in the second week of July.

The spokesman said the agency hoped to stabilise the supply to this region by upgrading its Telibong 2 treatment plant.

“Phase 2 of the facility is tentatively expected to be complete in two year’s time.”

In the meantime, he advised the public to make allowance for those periods when they might be without a supply or find that the pressure of their tap water was weak.

“We advise the public to stock enough water for at least two days, when a supply is available in their respective areas.”

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He said the Department’s staff would periodically check that a supply reached Taman Putera Perdana and Angkasa Apartments.

“At the same time, we hope that consumers will inform us when their taps run dry so that action can be taken deal with these water woes as soon as possible.”

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