Beverly Hills urged to improve piping system
Published on: Tuesday, July 27, 2021
By: Sidney Skinner
.jpg "Beverly Hills urged to improve piping system")
The pressure of the water in the distribution mains, before the bulk meter for Phase 3, was found to be acceptable when the Dept’s staff checked these pipes.
The management company (MC) for Beverly Hills Phase 3 should consider improving the internal piping system for some of its water installations, including the balancing tank on the property.A Water Department spokesman said the firm had been urged to enlarge the diameter of the pipe entering the receptacle.
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“The present inlet for the tank is only about two inches wide. Our distribution pipes have a six-inch diameter by comparison,” he said.
“A bigger opening might enable a supply to get into the tank even when the pressure of the water in the distribution line is not as strong as it should be.”
This advice was given when the agency’s personnel met with the MC about the water woes which Phase 3 occupants experienced for several days earlier this month.
Many residents were unhappy about the erratic supply to their units.
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Treated water escaped onto the road and into the drain nearby as a result of the leakage near Taman Bundusan Villa.
The MC notified apartment-dwellers, at the time, that their water would be rationed.
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The firm cited problems with the incoming supply from the Department.
According to the notices, a supply was supposed to be available for three hours, or less, to occupants at intervals between 5am and 9pm.
When the firm failed to keep to the rationing schedule, some consumers contacted the Department only to learn that there was nothing amiss with the supply to the property.
The spokesman said the agency checked on the condition of the distribution line leading to Phase 3.
“Our staff went down shortly after we were contacted by the media,” he said.
“They found the water pressure in the pipes, before the bulk meter for the property, to be strong.”
The Dept says that the inlet to the balancing tank (indicated) needs to be enlarged.
He said the agency’s officers later conducted a joint-inspection of the grounds, together with the MC staff, to identify potential reasons for the supply woes.
“A week prior, the company had been controlling the tap water entering the balancing tank for Phase 3.
“We were made to understand that, if this was not done, then only the ground and first floor units would be able to receive a supply.”
At the time of the inspection, he said the MC was no longer controlling the flow of water to the different blocks there.
“Nevertheless, we asked the firm not to simply blame the Department for the irregular supply in Phase 3, when the MC’s handling of the situation had also contributed to this problem.”
The Dept’s workers in the midst of attending to the burst water main.
The spokesman said a check of its records revealed that a city-wide and localised disruption had taken place separately during this period.
The former involved the temporary shutdown of the Kasigui Treatment Plant, a day after heavy rains lashed the State Capital in the middle of June, according to him.
“Production ground to a halt for a few hours due to the high turbidity of the river water channelled to the Plant.
“The floods, brought on by the bad weather the previous day, also hit the facility.”
Besides the Beverly Hills Apartments, other areas affected by the shutdown included the State Capital, Kepayan, Tanjung Aru, Kota Kinabalu International Airport Terminal 1, Sembulan, Karamunsing, Signal Hill, Likas, Tanjung Lipat, Kolombong, Inanam, Luyang, Bukit Padang, Penampang, Kobusak, the Kadazan Dusun Cultural Association building, Jalan Penampang Baru, Jalan Penampang-Papar Lama, Jalan Papar Baru, Jalan Pintas, Donggongon, Jalan Panglima Banting, Country Heights Apartments, Jalan Bundusan, Putatan, Kg Ketiau, Petagas and Lok Kawi.
“Operations at the Plant resumed later that day after the clarity of the water improved,” the spokesman said.
“A supply was restored to consumers in stages once sufficient pressure had built up in the distribution line.”
He said a section of the water mains near Taman Bundusan Villa sprung a leak, two days after this shutdown.
“A 150 millimetre wide MSCL pipe was found to have burst around 10.30am, with tap water escaping onto the road and into the drain nearby” he said.
“Repairs were completed later that afternoon.”
The Kasigui Plant was flooded a day after heavy rains hit Penampang in mid July.
The supply to Beverly Hills Phase 1, 2, 3 and 5 had to be shut off while the damaged pipe was being attended to, according to him.
He said the same was done in Delta Heights, TNGC, Beverly Hills Villa, Bataras Bundusan, Bintang Ramai, Taman Golf View, Taman Golf Garden, CKS Supermarket, Tropicana Landmark, Condo Apartment and Fairway Mansions.
GABBY, a Beverly Hill Phase 3 resident, bemoaned the irregular supply to her upper-floor unit.
“The MC told us that it has to implement a rationing exercise as there is no treated water coming into Phase 3,” she said.
“In many instances, however, the firm doesn’t stick to the schedule.
“Instead of being available for three or even two and a half hours, my taps run dry after less than 60 minutes.”
She said she had wearied of querying the MC about this.
Calls to the company’s office generally went unanswered and the staff did not respond to her WhatsApp messages, according to her.
Gabby said she had been experiencing water woes, on and off, for the past three years.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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