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KUALA LUMPUR – The implementation of the Raw Water Assurance Scheme (SJAM) will help control and curb water resource problems in Selangor, said Selangor infrastructure and agriculture executive councillor Izham Hashim.
In a press statement, Izham mentioned his optimism that the Selangor state government initiative would be able to troubleshoot river pollution incidents and raw water insufficiency from river streams, following its success in an incident a few days ago.
“The implementation of SJAM proves that it is able to help control and curb water resource quality problems in Selangor, which at once avoids disruption of water treatment plant operations and subsequent disruptions of water supply to users,” he said.
Izham’s statement comes after an incident which occurred about 7am on February 2, when the Water Management Selangor Sdn Bhd detected raw water quality problems caused by increased ammonia in the state’s main water treatment plants, namely SSP1, SSP2, and SSP3.
He stated that SJAM was immediately activated through alternative raw water pumping to Selangor river via an alternative raw water source pumping from the Hybrid off River Augmentation System (Horas) 600 reservoir.
The pumping had a capacity of 500 million litres a day, a distance of 2km, and 1-hour flow travel to the water treatment plants.
This was then followed by the KL Larut alternative pool water channelling, intended to increase river liquefaction rates and contain ammonia concentration.
He added that the barrage gates at the plants were also lowered by Air Selangor to speed up the polluted flow past their fronts.
According to Izham, 516 million litres of alternative raw water were channelled to the Selangor river that morning, which successfully controlled and curbed the ammonia pollution. Monitoring and sampling found that the rivers involved were in good condition and ammonia readings were controlled.
Air Selangor further informed there are no disruptions to the plants.
Nonetheless, Izham said The Selangor Water Management Board (Luas) will continue to closely monitor the rivers involved including static monitoring in Sg Ayer Hitam.
SJAM is an initiative by the Selangor state government to overcome the state’s water resource quality and quantity issues by troubleshooting river pollution incidents and raw water insufficiency from river streams.
Other measures include heavy punishment for offenders under the Luas Enactment, 24-hour surveillance in sensitive water resource areas in the Selangor and Langat river, and alternative raw water source pumping from Horas 600 in the Selangor river and the Pond C reservoir in the Semenyih river.
For long-term measures to guarantee water resources to the states of Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, SJAM also constructed infrastructures to systematically drain pool water.
Infrastructures include pump installation with a capacity of 3000 million litres per day, pump houses, raw water pipes, and an automatically controlled adjustable sluice structure in the Selangor river.
The project, expected to be completed at the end of 2023, will allow water to be continuously supplied, regardless of any quality problems with raw water sources. – The Vibes, February 4, 2023