Minister opens new water testing labs, launches Water Conservation Unit
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: The enormous wastage in the consumption of water by the population of Brunei Darussalam will become unsustainable if nothing is done to reduce the excessive average usage of water per person in the country. Currently, Brunei Darussalam has the highest rate of water usage in Asia and it has become a concern for the Ministry of Development, Borneo Bulletin reported.
According to a survey carried out by the Public Works Department, the average water consumption in the country is too high. Normally an individual only needs 150 litres of water per day to live comfortably, but the usage is double that amount in Brunei. It stands at 420 litres for each individual per day that is equivalent to the amount of 280 one-and-a-half litre bottles. This shows that the excessive use of water is a waste. The wastage is not only water but also the cost of treating the water and supplying to homes and premises.
The concern on the high water usage was raised by Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awg Hj Suyoi bin Hj Osman, the Minister of Development, in his speech at the launch of new labs for the Water Services Department and the newly set up Water Conservation Unit yesterday.
The new laboratory and the new Water Conservation Unit are located at the Water Services Department’s building in Tasek Lama.
“The Government of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam has always carried out plans and projects to make sure that the population has enough clean water for domestic, commercial and industrial use,” he said.
He further elaborated that in the 10t” National Development Plan, the government will spend more than $400 million for water supply projects like the construction of dams, water treatment plants, pipes, tanks and other infrastructure.
“The current situation is unsustainable. If efforts to contain the situation are not taken, it may affect the supply of treated water that will be not enough and also from the price imposed on each consumer. Therefore the Ministry of Development has made the reduction of average water consumption a priority in the implementation of the ministry’s strategy” said the minister.
When asked about possibility of reviewing the low tariff to encourage people to use water more efficiently, the minister in an interview said, “We are trying to encourage people to get into the habit of saving water first before we introduce any changes. However, we have been talking about the tariff but are not certain yet.”
On the excessive usage of water, the minister said, “The situation is very serious whereby each person uses an average of 420 litres of water per day in Brunei. We are talking about treated water, and not raw water. The treated water goes through various processes before being distributed. It’s an expensive process.
“We are introducing some measures by encouraging people to use equipment that can save water and also encouraging people to change the habit on water usage. We hope that we don’t have to introduce any tariff or start penalising people for wasting water.”
The minister also noted that the public is more aware of the situation now, especially officers in the ministry, as they have signed up for water usage at their respective homes to be monitored. He also said that the officers are currently consciously reducing the usage of water. The initiative will likely spread to other ministries.
When asked how the minister himself conserves the usage of water, he replied, “I am educating my domestic helpers to reduce the usage of water when washing cars and so on. I agree that we have to start conserving water at home”.
— Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin