Water Dept monitoring Likas, Menggatal supply
Published on: Tuesday, October 04, 2022
By: Sidney Skinner
The dirty dishes had been piling up in sinks like this at Ujana Kingfisher.
THE Water Department is monitoring the supply to Ujana Kingfisher, in Likas, and Malawa Ria V23, in Manggatal, due to the irregular supply at both properties.A spokesman for the agency said the declining water levels at its R13 and R15 reservoirs – from which consumers at the Likas neighbourhood and Manggatal apartments respectively draw their supply – were to blame for these problems.
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“This gave rise to the low pressure of the supply at some of the affected premises, while at others not even get a drop of water was available,” he said.
“Treated water was temporarily diverted to the two reservoirs for a period afterwards.”
He said the Department hoped to keep its water-pumps at both locations running as they should by boosting the levels inside both receptacles
“A sensor switches the pumps off, when the levels are low, and switches them on, when the levels next reach the required height.”
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He said, from time to time, the pumps had to be manually reactivated, after an electricity disruption.
“Our pump operators have been asked to be more wary of any blackouts and to be more prompt in switching on these devices after the power is restored.”
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The spokesman said maintenance was carried out on the pumps once every two or three months, according to a fixed schedule.
“This work involves ensuring that the control panel, including the automatic sensor, functions normally.
“The pumps’ components are greased as and when this becomes necessary.”
He said the agency’s staff had been asked to step up their inspections of these devices to ensure that they did not break down.
“This is done daily in select areas from Ujana Kingfisher all the way to the KKIP which have been identified as ‘trouble spots’.”
The spokesman was responding to grouses from a homeowner at Ujana Kingfisher, whose taps had run dry for almost two days, and a unit-owner at Malawa V23 who was unhappy about the intermittent supply he had been receiving over the past two weeks.
Water Department staff checking on the water pressure outside the consumer’s home.
A Department personnel ascertains that supply is reaching the water mains near Malawa Ria V23.
MAREE, who lives along Lorong Ujana 13, bemoaned the inconvenience caused by the lack of water in her home.
“There are no more reserves in my storage tank,” she said, adding that she had been bathing at her workplace because of this.
“I have not been taking my meals at home as I have been unable to cook, let alone clear the pile of dirty dishes in my sink, without water.”
Maree said that this was not the first time that the taps in her home had run dry.
“The supply has proven unreliable several times already this year.
“Even when water is available, the pressure is so weak that the little that trickles in reminds me of a young child’s urine stream.”
Maree said she and her neighbours had contacted the Department on numerous occasions about their water woes.
“At one stage, we were told that there was a problem with water pump in our area.”
She said found it difficult to accept this response, considering her friends, who ran a shop at the Alam Mesra commercial area nearby, did not have these water woes.
The resident provided Hotline with the location of her home, as well as the dates of the most recent disruptions. This information was forwarded to the Department.
The spokesman said her water problems were exacerbated because her home was located towards the “end of the distribution line”.
“To make matters worse, she lives on higher ground,” he said.
He said the agency’s staff checked on the distribution mains leading to the premises shortly after becoming aware of her complaint.
“At the time of this inspection, they found that the strength of the water, in the pipes before her metre, was acceptable,” he said.
“The same was true of the pressure of the water reaching the bulk-metre for Malawa Ria V23.”
He said the Department’s staff would, nevertheless, keep tabs on the situation at both residential properties to ensure that its consumers received tap water.
EDISON, who occupies an upper floor unit, expressed his displeasure about the erratic supply at the apartments.
He claimed that, initially, her tap water had been reduced to a trickle. After a day, he said not a drop was available.
“It is very inconvenient as my taps have run dry for the past two weeks,” he said.
“Only the sound of air moving can be heard when the taps are turned on.
“From time to time, me and my family travel to my in-law’s place in Likas just to bathe and use the toilet there.”
Edison said he had contacted the Department and management company for Malawa Ria V23 several times about his supply woes but the situation had yet to improve.
“It is very stressful to live at the apartments under these circumstances.”
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