PAPAR: The Kabang Water Intake Upgrading Project has achieved 94 per cent physical progress, with the remaining critical works being expedited through a 21-day Acceleration Plan.
Member of Parliament for Papar Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali said the plan was important to ensure the project’s final works are completed on schedule, allowing the intake’s new capacity to become operational.
Armizan (fifth from left) and Dr Joachim (fourth from left) with others giving thumbs up on the progress of the project.He said the project, which began on March 10, 2025, involved increasing capacity of the Kabang Intake from nine million litres to 30 million litres per day.
“Upon completion, the Kabang Water Intake will serve as an alternative raw water source for the Limbahau Water Treatment Plant (WTP) and the Emergency Water Supply Scheme (EWSS) plant.
“This is particularly important when the raw water source at the Limbahau Water Intake is affected by salinity, turbidity or ammonia levels exceeding safe limits,” he said.
Armizan who is also the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister said this after visiting the project with Works and Utilities Minister-cum-Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam here, on Tuesday.
Elaborating, Armizan said the project had faced several constraints, including weather conditions, river levels and raw water quality.
He said the situation had resulted in work at the site being halted for 46 days due to salinity problems, while the project also experienced 71 rainy days during its implementation period.
“In certain circumstances, the existing Kabang Water Intake must continue operating to ensure an uninterrupted raw water supply to both plants,” he said.
Although only about six per cent of the work remained, he said it involved critical components, including construction of the intake structure wall, pump base, pump installation, pipe connections, as well as system testing and commissioning.
Armizan said to enable the critical works to be carried out, the basin must be emptied and operations at the existing Kabang Water Intake suspended during the first 16 days of the Acceleration Plan.
“Operations of the existing Kabang Water Intake pipeline must also be temporarily suspended from the 17th to the 19th day to allow pipe connection works to the Limbahau WTP to be carried out.
“The final two days are allocated for system testing and commissioning before the new system can begin operations,” he said.
However, he said the temporary closure of the Kabang Water Intake did not necessarily mean that water supply disruptions would occur throughout the period.
This was because, he said, the Limbahau WTP and EWSS could continue operating using raw water from the Limbahau Water Intake, as long as the water quality remained suitable for treatment.
Armizan said if chloride levels increased to the point where the raw water is no longer suitable for treatment, water production could be reduced, potentially resulting in low water pressure or temporary supply disruptions in several areas.
“Such risks cannot be taken lightly because we understand that prolonged water disruptions affect family affairs, children’s schooling, businesses, healthcare and the daily routines of the community.
“If disruptions occur during the temporary closure, we will coordinate water deliveries using tankers and the filling of static water tanks in affected areas,” he said.
He said the 21-day Acceleration Plan must therefore be completed to prevent similar problems from recurring in the future, ensure the remaining works were completed on schedule and minimise the impact on the community.
“Upon completion, the Kabang Water Intake will become one of the key components in building a more stable and resilient water supply system for Papar,” Armizan said.
