Water Department looking into Kinarut, Manggatal woes
Published on: Wednesday, April 27, 2022
By: Sidney Skinner
An excavator was deployed to dig down to the damaged MSL pipe in Kinarut.
The Water Department is trying to proactively prevent its distribution mains around Kinarut from springing any leaks and is keeping tabs on the supply to one part of Manggatal.This action follows complaints about the erratic supply in Taman Sri Kinarut and Taman Sri Baru Manggatal Phase 2.
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Two consumers from the respective neighbourhoods furnished Hotline with their particulars, including the dates when they were without tap water. This information was forwarded to the agency.
The leaking distribution main was buried more than 10 metres underground.
A spokesman for the Department’s Papar office said its staff had stepped up efforts to check on the condition of the main pipes servicing Kinarut.
“This is being done to minimise the likelihood of pipe-bursts disrupting the supply in some parts of the town,” he said.
Nevertheless, given as how the district encompassed an extensive area, he said it was often difficult for the agency’s staff to be everywhere at once.
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“To this end, we hope consumers will inform us directly of any irregularities involving our main pipes, especially any damage to these installations, so that action can be taken deal with these problems as soon as possible.”
The spokesman said such damage recently caused a water shortage around Kinarut.
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He said a 300-millimetre pipe, near the junction to a vocational institute there, was found to have sprung a leak.
The Department’s technicians worked through the night to repair the 300mm pipe.
“We suspect that this section of the supply line may have worn down due to wear and tear as the pipe was installed years ago,” he said.
“Emergency repairs on the Mid-Steel-Cement-Lined (MSCL) pipe were initiated shortly after this problem came to light,” he said.
He said the Department’s technicians worked through the night to finish attending to the distribution main.
Their efforts were complicated because the leaking pipe was buried more than 10 metres underground, according to him.
“The supply from our Kogopon Treatment Plant had to be temporarily shut off from 8pm to allow our staff to excavate down to the pipe, before welding the connection.
“This work was completed several hours later, with tap water restored to the affected consumers in stages once sufficient pressure had built up in the supply-line.”
A notice about the burst was circulated over social media, according to him.
A staff from the agency checks the distribution mains in this part of Taman Sri Baru Manggatal for airlocks.
Besides those around the town and in Taman Sri Kinarut, the other areas impacted by the burst included Taman Limauan Kinarut, Taman Prima and Taman Kinarut Ria
Among the affected villages were Kg Mook, Kg Sulim and Kg Tampasak.
The Department has previously announced that it might replace the older distribution mains in Kinarut gven to the recurring leaks around the town.
“This will be done once the necessary funds become available,” another spokesman said last year.
LIM, who lives in Taman Sri Kinarut, bemoaned the erratic supply he had been receiving for months.
He claimed those on the upper floors, like himself, only received a limited amount of treated water.
To make matters worse, Lim said there were also instances when the taps in his unit ran dry for days.
“It is very inconvenient for me to carry out chores around my apartment, when the taps run dry during the day,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Department is monitoring the supply to Taman Sri Baru Manggatal as the falling water levels at the reservoir servicing the area has given rise to water woes there.
The pressure of the supply reaching this Manggatal water meter was found to be weak.
A spokesman for the agency’s Kota Kinabalu office said the water pressure at some homes was weak, while not a drop was available at those on higher ground.
“We are in the midst of discussions on how to best address this situation,” he said.
In the mean time, he explained that the Department had resorted to rationing the supply to the various residential and commercial properties in this part of Manggatal.
“This exercise also involves consumers in Inanam and Telipok as the demand for tap water around these towns has exceeded the output from the existing treatment plants.
“Those living and working here will find the supply to their premises reduced from the late afternoon till midnight.
“Their supply will only return to normal in the wee hours after we have refilled the reservoir and the water levels at the installation have increased.”
The spokesman said the agency hoped to stabilise the supply to the affected areas by upgrading its Telibong 2 Plant.
“Phase 2 of the facility is tentatively due to be completed later this year.”
CHEN found that he was without a supply in Taman Sri Baru Manggatal, when he returned from work on a recent Friday night.
Three days later, he said, only the sound of air moving could be heard when the taps were turned on.
Chen said the Department’s Careline had been unable to tell him how long the disruption would last.
“The telephonist could only tell me to be patient as action was being taken to restore my supply,” he said.
The spokesman said an inspection was made of the distribution mains leading to the consumer’s house, shortly after the agency was contacted by the media.
“Our staff cleared any airlocks found inside these pipes,” he said.
“They also checked on the strength of the water, at the time, found the pressure to be weak.”
He said the Department’s personnel had been asked to make periodic checks of its supply line in the neighbourhood to ensure that consumers received some water.
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