SANDAKAN: The water supply situation in Sandakan is worsening by the day due to insufficient water sourced from borehole treatment plants such as Hilltop, Sibuga and Kebun Cina.
Community Development Leader Karamunting, Dato Chew Kok Woh, said the treatment plants in Segaliud and Kinabatangan are also occasionally disrupted by pump failures, power outages, lack of lubricants and other issues.
Advertisement (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});“Last year, Sandakan faced the challenge of high Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) readings (salty water), which angered users due to health concerns.
“Now, with an additional reduction in water supply, the problem has escalated to low water pressure.
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Previously Chew had raised concerns about the water shortage in Sandakan particularly in the Karamunting constituency through an official letter to State Minister of Public Works, Datuk Ir. Shahelmey Yahya and Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor, to bring attention to the district’s dire situation.
Advertisement (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});“The main cause of the water shortage is the sudden closure of the Hilltop Borehole Plant, which had been operating for a long time but was abruptly shut down by the Timatch concessionaire, claiming the borehole had dried up whereby this claim needs to be verified through research data.
“The lack of cooperation between the concession contractor and the Sandakan District Water Department also created numerous issues that negatively impact the residents of Sandakan in general and Karamunting in particular,” he added.
Advertisement (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});The temporary cessation of maintenance at the Segaliud Plant by the concession contractor has caused various problems and worsened the water shortage in Sandakan District.
With the Hilltop Plant closed, the Sibuga Plant allowed to operate with only one pump at a time, and the Segaliud Plant plagued with issues, both facilities under the jurisdiction of a single concession contractor are unable to meet demand.
Since the Hilltop Plant is reportedly no longer operational due to the borehole being dry, Chew suggested in his letter dated Jan 6 that the Hilltop Plant be taken over by the Sabah State Water Department to explore ways to restore the borehole or identify new borehole sources in the area.
He also recommended a long-term plan to benefit the residents of Sandakan.
Chew hoped proposals for Segaliud Plant 2 and the Maliau Basin Plant would be expedited, as these new projects could help meet the future water demands of Sandakan.
“How much longer must the residents of Jalan Leila endure these hardships and repeatedly request mobile water tanker services from the department?
Recently, Chew requested the Sandakan District Water Department’s mobile water tanker service to distribute water to residents along Jalan Leila and the Pasar Bandar Ramai-ramai area.
