SIBU: Many eateries in Kanowit have been closed since last week due to water shortage, a perennial problem.
Some residents reputedly even had to go all the way to Sibu to wash up.
As if that was not bad enough, power outages are increasingly common, leaving the more than 8,000 townfolk fuming.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Kanowit PKR chairman George Chen said in less than one week, he had received over 100 complaints.
He said the present water treatment plant, which was built in 1963, could no longer cope with the increasing demand for water.
“I hope the state rural water supply department will have a long-term plan of building a bigger treatment plant to meet the demand for water by the increasing population.”
Chen said the people were also worried that the existing plant located on a hilltop in the town centre posed a serious risk as soil erosion has been happening on and off lately.
“During the water shortage, coffee shop operators, I was told, have been using minimal water to do all the cleaning. This means that in terms of hygiene, it is very bad,” he warned.
He wanted the Kanowit Water Board to start distributing water to townsfolk, including those in the longhouses.
“I have consulted the divisional engineer on why there was a shortage of water. He said the water authority is shutting down the two filtering systems of the treatment plant for cleaning that resulted in low water pressure. One of the filters has been cleaned while the other one will probably take another three to five days,” he added.
On the blackouts, he said the problem has been there for the past five to 10 years.
“Just yesterday (Wednesday) there were five trips. From the feedback gathered, tripping occurs almost every day now, some for five minutes while others for a few hours,” he added.
Chen had also received complaints from the public that their electrical appliances were
damaged due to this.
