By Alexandra Lorna & Tani Matu
KUCHING: The Ministry for Utility and Telecommunication is planning to use smart meter system to ensure every drop of water is recorded to reduce non-revenue water (NRW).
Its minister, Datuk Julaihi Narawi said Sarawak aspires to gradually reduce NRW to 25 per cent, in line with the Post- COVID Development Strategy 2030.
“We are presently upgrading most of the ageing pipelines which is a major cause of NRW,” he said at the closing ceremony of Borneo International Water and Wastewater Exhibition and Conference 2022 at Imperial Hotel on Wednesday.
He said public awareness was crucial in the effort to reduce NRW, other than using smart metering system and replacing old distribution pipes.
“It is about on how best we can educate them so they can value water in their daily live,” he added.
Julaihi noted that while attending an international conference in Tokyo, Japan recently, he was told that Tokyo recorded only three per cent NRW, which is among the lowest in the world.
He stressed that Sarawak needed to ensure that treated water flow was recorded via the smart meter system.
“We have noticed during our exhibition, there are smart meters being introduced and how best we could record even drops of water that may not be counted and not recorded by the current water meters we are using.
“Hopefully with this exhibition, with the introduction of new innovative technology which includes smart meter system, we will be able to reduce our NRW in the near future,” Julaihi said.
Meanwhile, he said despite facing the biggest challenge in providing water supply throughout Sarawak due to the challenging topography and uneven terrain, the Sarawak government would strive towards meeting the ultimate vision to achieve 100% water supply coverage.
He also said Sarawak water sector would undergo institutional transformational changes, as the government implements the ambitious integrated Sarawak-wide water grid system that embraces digitalisation, by establishing a single water entity and a corporate body as its regulator.
“I think this will take time, we are planning to have it done within the next two years. It is a very massive exercise. We have to plan it very well,” he added.
