ALOR STAR: The recent water supply disruption in Kulim which affected over 20,000 accounts was caused by high tide and continuous rainfall in upstream areas.
Kedah Water Resources Board (Lsank) director Syed Amaluddin Hafeez Syed Musa said for the time being, the murky water will naturally dissipate once rainfall subsides.
“Such occurrences are natural events, and we cannot control the intensity or duration of rainfall. Heavy rain in the upstream areas carried debris and mud along the riverbanks, resulting in extreme murky water.
“Up to this point, the raw Water Treatment Plants (WTP) operated by Syarikat Air Darul Aman Sdn Bhd (Sada) are unable to process the raw water as doing so would require excessive use of chemicals that could endanger consumers,” he said when contacted today
On Thursday, it was reported that over 20,000 user accounts in Kulim district were affected by water supply disruptions due to the suspension of operations at the Sungai Ular WTP following high levels of raw water turbidity in the river.
Sada had said in a statement that more than 50 residential areas and villages, including educational institutions, were affected.
It also said that Sada would seek an explanation regarding the incident from Lsank, the entity responsible for regulating water resource-related matters.
To alleviate the burden on affected consumers, immediate measures have been taken through scheduled water tanker deliveries and supply of Sada static tanks.
Commenting further, Syed Amaluddin Hafeez said the release of water from the Beris and Muda dams could clear out the murky water.
However, he expressed concerns that the method could lead to the depletion of raw water reserves and potential wastage.
“The duration of this situation depends on the tides. If low tide persists, we can release the turbid water directly into the sea. However, we would waste precious water resources.
“We don’t have a problem with the supply of raw water; the only issue now is the quality of raw water due to its turbidity,” he added.
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