Telipok folks told to install storage tanks
Published on: Saturday, July 31, 2021
By: Sidney Skinner
.jpg "Telipok folks told to install storage tanks")
The staff get their hands dirty taking the mechanism apart.
Telipok consumers have been urged to install a storage tank at their premises to weather the problems caused by the erratic supply which they have been receiving.A Water Department spokesman said this receptacle should have a capacity of, at least, 200 galleons.
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“It’s better to have a tank in case they are not at home or at their officers to store water when tap water is available in their respective areas,” he said.
“A supply is channelled on rotation to our consumers here for a few hours each day.”
He said this rationing-exercise had been implemented so that the agency could boost the water levels at the Department’s R17 reservoir which services, not only Telipok, but parts of Inanam and Manggatal as well.
The spokesman admitted that the agency had been struggling to meet the escalating demands for water from consumers in these areas for the past few years.
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“With more and more residential and commercial properties coming up around these areas, both the Telibong Treatment Plants are straining to keep up with the added requests for a supply.
The Telipok resident is disappointed by the weak presure of the water entering her home
He said both facilities were operating well beyond capacity.
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“Telibong 1 which is supposed to produce 60 million litres daily (MLD) is presently generating 72 mld.
“Telibong 2 has increased its output to 94 mld from 80mld which is the normal level of production.”
The spokesman said the Department had been swamped with hundreds of complaints about the supply woes in the Northern Region of the State Capital.
The agency hoped to stabilise the supply to this region by upgrading its Telibong 2 Plant, according to him.
“Phase 2 of the facility is tentatively expected to be complete in two years’ 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.”
The spokesman was responding to a complaint about from a Telipok consumer about the low water pressure in her neighbourhood.
She lamented the strength of the supply trickling from her taps, saying that even the flow of a child’s urine was stronger.
The individual provided Hotline with the location of her home, as well as the dates when she experienced these water woes. This information was forwarded to the Department.
The spokesman said the irregular supply the consumer had experienced was partly caused by a breakdown of the water-pump servicing the housing area.
“Our staff discovered this during a check which was made a few days after we were contacted by the media,” he said.
“A component in control panel may have been damaged at one of those times when the mechanism tripped.”
He said the pump often had to be manually reactivated after an electricity disruption.
“Our pump operator has been asked to be more wary of any trips and to be more prompt in switching on the device they occur.
“We will monitor the progress of this work to try and prevent our consumers in the neighbourhood from being unnecessarily inconvenienced.”
MARCY of Telipok claimed the residents in Taman Putera Perdana only received tap water during late at night or in the wee hours.
“I have to forgo sleep at night to store some water as I cannot do this during the day because I am working,” she said.
“It is very inconvenient for me to carry out chores around the house, when the supply is so unreliable.”
She said she could not even take a bath, or brush her teeth at home, as there as the taps in his bathroom were dry.
Marcy said the neighbourhood, which about half a kilometre away from the town, comprised of about 275 homes.
She claimed that, at one stage, those staying there were without a supply for close to a week.
“I am at a loss to understand why this has happened as those in the town are still able to receive tap water.”
She said she had contacted the Department’s Care Line repeatedly on and off since these supply problems first began “months ago”.
“The staff can only assure me that the relevant section are attending to these woes.
“These assurances have not amounted to much as the situation has not improved.”Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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