Kota Kinabalu: State Public Works Minister Datuk Shahelmey Yahya confirmed that construction of a second water intake at Kg Kabang is underway.
However, no specific timeline has been provided for its completion. “The project has already begun, but I don’t have details on when it will be completed —maybe in a year,” he said.
Shahelmey said the second intake would address water quality issues at the existing intake in Kg Limbahau, particularly during the dry season when saltwater enters the system.
“When this happens, we will close the water intake in Limbahau and use the second intake at Kg Kabang instead,” he added.
The construction of the second intake was first ordered by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor on March 20 last year, directing the Water Department and a State Government-Linked Company (GLC) to build it in support of the Emergency Water Supply Scheme (EWSS) Water Treatment Plant in Kg Limbahau.
On March 6 this year, Papar MP Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali firmly urged the State GLC to speed up the project, stressing that it had not started.
He said the urgency of the second intake is seen as a critical solution to the high salinity issue at the first intake in Kg Limbahau.
Rising chloride levels and turbidity from upstream of Papar River — especially after rainfall — have led to murky water, making the intake unreliable. With the project underway, the second intake at Kg Kabang is hoped to provide a more stable and clean water supply for affected areas.
