SANDAKAN: The Hilltop Water Treatment Plant (WTP) near the town here has resumed operations, restoring water supply to users in the district here after a six-month hiatus due to a lack of water sources.
Deputy Chief Minister cum State Works Minister, Datuk Shahelmey Yahya, said those previous affected users, including those in Bandar Leila, Bandar Nam Tung, and Bandar Ramai-Ramai, are now receiving their water supply without interruptions as before.
He said the WTP began operating again as two out of 10 tube wells or ground water (borehole) in the district can now supply between three to 3.5 million litres of water daily.
Furthermore, he said if the seventh and 10th wells are maintained, four million litres daily can be provided to users receiving water from the Hilltop WTP.
He said this in a press conference after visiting the construction site of the Sandakan water storage tank near Taman Tshun Ngen on Wednesday.
During his one-day working visit to Sandakan on the same, Shahelmey also inspected construction of a culvert on Jalan Utara, which is expected to address water ponding and flooding issues on the road by May.
He also visited the Hilltop WTP and two boreholes in Sandakan capable of supplying treated water to users in the area.
The 40km Sandakan water storage tank project, involving five tanks, is expected to be completed by July next year.
The five storage tanks will serve the Batu 10 education hub, Batu 12, Batu 16 Gum-Gum, Jalan Airport, and Tshun Ngen areas in Sandakan.
In the long term, Shahelmey said to ensure a continuous water supply in Sandakan, his Ministry and the concessionaire will discuss sourcing water from the Segaliud dam, as well as proposals to channel water from Kinabatangan to Sandakan under the 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK13).
Regarding the state’s water supply issues, he said the government is continually working to ensure water reaches the users.
In April, this year, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Haji Noor is expected to launch the Ulu Padas Water Supply Scheme, providing treated water to surrounding users, alongside efforts to improve water supply in Putatan, Papar, Kota Kinabalu, and other areas.
Addressing viral issues related to the use of water pumps, Shahelmey clarified that it is not an immediate action but rather an awareness campaign for domestic and commercial users to avoid selfish practices.
“Additionally, users should be ethical and use pumps that are legally compliant, allowing others to enjoy water supply equally, as there have been complaints of reduced supply due to excessive use of water pumps,” he said.
