PENAMPANG: Kampung Kepayan Warisan Branch Chairman Pritchard Gumbaris has called on the State Works Ministry to conduct a thorough investigation into the root causes of the ongoing water supply problems here before implementing strict enforcement measures against consumers.
In a statement, here, Thursday, Pritchard, who is also Political Secretary to Warisan Deputy President Datuk Darell Leiking acknowledged the Water Department’s recent announcement regarding stricter enforcement against water pump installations under Section 56 of the Sabah Water Supply Enactment 2022.
However, he voiced concern that such measures would place an undue burden on residents already struggling with unreliable water supply.
“I urge State Works Minister Datuk Shahelmey Yahya to mobilise all units to thoroughly investigate the issue and inform the public of their findings.
“We have heard about illegal tapping, the Non-Revenue Water issue, the need for water storage in the form of a dam and the necessity for more and improved water treatment plants,” he said.
He said several factors require investigation, including whether the water treatment plants connected to the Babagon Dam and Moyog River are operating at full capacity.
He questioned whether current supply levels are meeting the district’s demands and what might be causing the widespread low water pressure that has forced the implementation of daily water rationing.
“We would want to know what are the nominal operating capacity, with two main sources, namely, Babagon Dam and the Moyog River, that is plenty of raw water supply and if both treatment plants can increase their output,” he said.
He also raised concerns about possible equipment breakdowns and whether aging infrastructure might be contributing to the problem.
Additionally, he questioned whether water supply and demand statistics for Penampang have been properly factored into development plan approvals.
“The real danger is that if demand rises too drastically and the Water Department is unable to supply water accordingly, the situation will worsen unless the root causes are resolved,” he said.
Calling for transparency, he urged the Penampang Municipal Council, the Water Department and other stakeholders to organise a town hall meeting to share their findings with the affected community.
“We do not want to be kept in the dark. Many are already suffering from a lack of water supply, businesses are being severely affected and imposing a RM50, 000 fine for using water pumps will only worsen the community’s hardship,” he added.
He also criticized certain political appointees in the Penampang Council for what he described as a lack of urgency in addressing this critical issue affecting thousands of residents.