Falling levels at reservoir behind dry taps
Published on: Tuesday, September 27, 2022
By: Sidney Skinner
The agency’s maintenance contractor in the midst of carrying out repairs behind this shop in the Kg Air area.
FALLING water levels at a Penampang reservoir were to blame for the dry taps in a Penampang village while damage to Water Department installations caused similar problems in one part of the City recently.A homeowner in Kg Novunsu-Gunsing and two shopkeepers in the Kg Air area lost their supply for between three days to a week earlier this month.
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The affected consumers provided Hotline with the location of their premises, as well as the dates when they were with without water. This information was forwarded to the agency. A Department spokesman said the input to its R6B reservoir, in Penampang, had been inconsistent due to the burgeoning demand for tap water around Kota Kinabalu.
“The output from our Moyog and Kasigui Treatment Plants can barely keep up with the needs of our growing consumer-base in the State Capital,” he said.
He said about 185 million litres of water daily (MLD) was produced at the former with 53 MLD generated by the latter.
KK received about 212 MLD of the total output from both Plants, while the rest was channelled to Papar, according to him. “We are deliberating over how best to meet the demands from the many thousands in the State Capital, including Penampang, who depend on us.”
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The spokesman said the agency was looking into having a remote monitoring system put in place along its distribution line servicing the reservoir. “A ‘data-logger’ will help us to gather more accurate information on the amount of treated water being channelled to this part of the district.
“We are presently sourcing for an allocation to have this equipment installed.”
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While waiting to obtain the funds, he said, the Department would keep tabs on the water situation there.
“If need be, we will try to regulate the output from our R6B reservoir to ensure that those in Kg Novunsu some water.” He said one of the agency’s technicians had gone to the village, shortly after being contacted by the media about the water woes there.
“Our personnel checked on the condition of the distribution mains leading to the homeowner’s meter and cleared any airlocks inside. “At the time, the pressure of the water was found to be weak. He noted that the consumer’s house was located on higher ground which might account for the supply woes at the premises.”
On the problems in Kg Air, the spokesman said the Department would step up efforts to maintain its fixtures and pipes along Jalan Perpaduan and Jalan Sentosa.
“A damaged, two-inch stopcock disrupted the supply to a shop at the first road while a leak at the meter-stand did the same for another at the second,” he said. “Our maintenance contractor attended to both problems as soon as they came to light.” He said the water pressure at these premises was checked after the repairs were completed.
“The strength of the water in our supply-line was found to be acceptable, in both instances.”
The irregularities at the shops were triggered by action to install new meters in the Kg Air area, according to him.
He explained the agency was in the process of phasing out about 30,000 of its meters 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 replaced, 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.
Two proprietors, DAN and MAH, bemoaned the lack of water at their shops in Kg Air.
At the time that they contacted Hotline, Dan had been without a supply for four days and Mah had experienced a similar inconvenience for a week. “We have been using the toilets at the petrol kiosk nearby as the ones in our premises cannot be flushed,” they said.
Both shopkeepers admitted that their employees had contacted the Department several times about their predicament but the situation had yet to improve.
“Many of our customers have been grumbling about this situation. It is especially embarrassing when we tell them that they cannot use the toilets in our units.”
BERTY of Penampang, on the other hand, said he and his wife had been unable to carry out their chores – let alone bathe – as not a drop of water was coming from any of the taps in his house. “Neither the washing machine nor water heater will operate since the reserves in our tank ran out,” he said.
Berty said, prior to this, the supply in Kg Novunsu was only available for a limited period in the wee hours and that this had been going on “for months”.
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