Bukit Padang pump- house water overflow
Published on: Friday, June 24, 2022
By: Sidney Skinner
The Department’s staff double-checking that none of the connections from the balancing tanks (left) are leaking.
The Water Department will step up efforts to check on its Bukit Padang pump-house to ensure that the installations inside, including the balancing tanks, do not overflow.A spokesman for the agency said this action was prompted by a report about water spilling onto the main road nearby.
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The motorist, who brought this to Hotline’s attention, said the wastage was especially disheartening given the on and off water disruptions around the State Capital.
The spokesman said its staff went to the area on the same day that the Department was contacted by the media.
He said a check revealed that a defective ball-valve caused the spillage.
“A valve at the pump-house was closed to temporarily stop the overflow while our technicians set about looking for the necessary spare part,” he said.
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“A new floater was subsequently put in place to curb the wastage.
“Our staff kept the installations there under observation for a period afterwards. They confirmed that water was no longer escaping into the surrounding area.”
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Aside from the tanks, the spokesman said there were three pumps located on the grounds.
He said these devices were checked once every two to three months, according to a fixed schedule.
“Periodic maintenance is carried out on the pumps, which includes double-checking that the control panel and the automatic sensor work as they should.
“On top of this, the various components are greased when needed.”
He said the agency’s staff had been advised to be more mindful of what was happening at the pump-house in future.
“This will allow us to proactively prevent similar overflows from recurring.”
AMOS of Penampang was puzzled to see water streaming along the verge for Jalan Khidmat on Wednesday.
“The surface of the junction, at the section of the road where I saw this, was also damp,” he said.
“This caught my attention while I was driving my daughter to her school in Kolombong.”
“When I went to fetch her, hours later, I noticed that little pools had formed at some parts of the road-shoulder.”
Amos felt that it was a “gross negligence” for the supply to be going to waste in this manner.
“There must be a leaking pipe somewhere. I cannot understand how the Department can condone such wastage.”
A Luyang consumer who is unhappy that the agency changed her year-old water meter, meanwhile, is advised to provide the agency with the location and number of the device.
JAYNE said her previous meter had been installed in June 2021.
“I received a letter informing me that my meter was slated to be replaced but the Department did not explain why this was necessary,” she said.
The spokesman said more information was needed for the agency to deal with her query.
He explained the Department was in the midst of replacing the meters for some of its 30,000 consumers around the State Capital as these devices may be providing inaccurate readings.
Notices had been sent to select home and business owners, as early as March, to inform them that their meters were going to be changed, according to him.
“The older meters have a life span of seven years. Wear and tear starts to take a toll on them once they exceed this period.”
Besides these devices, he said, the Department also planned to change its water tanks in some rural areas and urban centres like Kudat and State Capital.
“This work is being implemented under three separate packages as part of a Non-Revenue Water Project.”
He explained that the project was being funded by the Federal Ministry of Environment and Water.
Jayne should contact Hotline to find out whom to contact at the Department.
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