KUCHING: The water crisis affecting consumers in Saratok is expected to end soon as fixing of the three malfunctioning large pumps at the Nanga Lichok water treatment plant, which supplies most of the treated water there, is almost done.
Community leaders in Saratok were told during a dialogue at the Saratok District Office on Sunday that contractors had repaired two pumps while the other pump was expected to resume functioning by yesterday evening.
The Public Works Department (JKR) also told them the situation was compounded by the current dry weather and they hoped there would be more rainfall within these next few days so that water level returns to normal.
At the dialogue, those present were also told the situation would greatly improve once the new water treatment plant at Kaki Wong is completed as scheduled within the next five months.
Saratok MP Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom, Betong Resident Datu Romie Sigan Daniel and Saratok District Officer Abdul Hafiz Kipli facilitated the dialogue as JKR divisional engineer and technical staff explained the situation to those present.
Mawan, who is also Social Development Minister, apologised to those affected by the water shortage which was not made any easier with JKR having only three tankers to deliver water to the affected villages.
“Since there are only three tankers, priority is given to cater to the needs of Saratok Hospital. I am also asking JKR to provide more 1Malaysia water tanks to the affected villages so that they can have enough clean water for their respective households,” said Mawan.
It was reported in the media recently that some 10,000 people in Saratok district, including neighbouring Kabong, had been experiencing disruption of water supply following the pump failure at the Nanga Lichok Treatment Plant since last week.
This situation had forced some of the residents to rely on water from the river, drains and old wells, and there were those who even went to the extent of buying bottled water for their household use, especially for cooking. Some even described the water crisis as the worst they had ever experienced.
It is learnt the Nanga Lichok water treatment plant has been in operation since the mid 1970s, and caters to Saratok town and the villages in Kalaka and Roban areas.