KUCHING: Technical problems at the inlet of the Bayai Water Treatment Plant which occurred on December 5 has been identified as the main cause of water supply disruption in Simanggang Town, Sri Aman over the past few days.
Sarawak Rural Water Supply Department (Jbalb) said the situation has caused the production capacity of treated water to decrease dramatically and is unable to meet the demand in Simanggang Town.
“Repair work was done by Jbalb Sri Aman and was completed on Dec 10. However, the water pressure needs some time to return back to normal, especially for higher altitude areas and ‘end point’ areas.
“Delivery of water supply using tankers is also carried out for affected areas,” said Jbalb in a statement on Sunday (Dec 13).
To overcome the water supply problem in Simanggang, the department said the upgrading of Bayai Water Treatment Plant SR 3 Work Order 3 Project is currently carried out in full swing.
It said the project involves upgrading of the production capacity from 33.33 million litres a day (MLD) to 53.33 MLD.
“The Projek Rakyat, valued around RM21.5 million, began on May 4 last year and is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2021. As of now, progress on site is 40.44 percent.”
Meanwhile, for the long-term plan, Jbalb said the ‘Proposed Raw Water Transfer from Batang Lupar to Bayai Water Treatment Plant, Sri Aman Division’ project which is estimated to cost RM140 million has been approved by the Sarawak Government for implementation under Projek Rakyat.
They explained that the project, which will be fully funded by the state government, is currently in its design phase and is expected to be tendered in the first quarter of 2021 with a construction period of 21 months.
“The scope of this project includes the construction of a facade, the installation of a 30km pipeline from the facade to the Bayai Water Treatment Plant, booster pump station and mechanical and electrical works.
“The implementation of this project can ensure that the Bayai Water Treatment Plant always has enough water to meet the demand in Simanggang and its surrounding areas,” assured Jbalb.
Apart from that, the department said the ‘Proposed Construction of Treated Water Storage System at Sri Aman Division’ project has also been proposed for consideration for implementation under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP).
“The project, estimated at RM30 million, will increase the capacity of the water reservoir in the Simanggang area.
“The scope of this project involves the construction of water reservoir tanks, pipe installation and related works in the areas of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Simanggang, Taman Sri Jaya, Pakit Camp and Simpang Klassen,” it added.
