Plugging leaky pipes to curb wastage

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IMAGINE turning on the faucet only to find a small stream of water flowing out. Then, you sigh at the thought of how long it’s going to take just to wash your hair.

Or turning on the sink faucet, only to see a pale or slightly murky stream coming out. Or flushing the toilet or running the washing machine, only to find the taps have gone dry.

Lack of access to clean water is considered a universal issue, yet water is an integral part of our daily lives, not just for drinking.

When we wake up, we might take a shower or sip coffee or tea. During the day, we may quench our thirst with all types of beverages. Some of us may water our gardens or do the laundry and dishes.

Everywhere in the world, fresh water, let alone portable water, is not equally distributed. Some regions have too much whereas others too little or none at all.

As far as fresh water is concerned, it’s not so much an issue in Sarawak on normal days. Shortages may only occur during prolonged droughts.

At the heart of the water supply issue in the state is the distribution of treated water which often ends up as wasteful or non-revenue water. Wasteful water, which normally percolates into the ground, can render many households waterless.

The unmistakable tell-tale sign is supply interruptions — or small streams of tap water whose volume of flow has been compared by some community leaders to the size of the little finger or a rodent’s tail. Such interruptions have been found to be the main problem facing Sebangan in Sebuyau District.

This was brought to the attention of the Assistant Minister for Public Utilities (Water Supply) Datuk Roland Sagah Wee Inn at a recent dialogue with the community leaders there.

Also present was Assistant Minister for Rural Economy (Coastal Areas and Fisheries) and Sebuyau assemblyman Datuk Julaihi Narawi.

The dialogue was part of Sagah’s walkabout itinerary to determine the real water problems faced by the people in the rural areas.

Earlier, two officials from the Public Utilities Ministry and some from the State Rural Water Supply Department (JBALB) made a site visit to the Sebangan water treatment plant (WTP).

Most homes in Sebangan are, in fact, connected to a public water system. But how is that so many residents still have to live with very little or without water on numerous occasions, as claimed by some of the community leaders.

The situation could turn dire during sustained droughts. In the past, drinking water had to be delivered to homes when the taps ran dry for long periods.

Faulty pumping main

According to JBALB Samarahan’s findings, the raw water at Sungai Sebangan is sufficient for the community. Therefore, supply interruption has not been caused by debris in the water, water valves, mineral deposits build-up or dryness at the intake point.

The real problem is water leakage along the ‘ancient’ pumping main between the treatment plant and the high-level tanks.

It was learnt during a briefing that leakages and pipe bursts were frequent along the ductile iron (DI) pumping main, laid over two decades ago under peat soil, which is acidic, causing the pipes to rust over time.

As such, the quantity of flow is affected from the high-level tanks to consumers. And, insufficient water in these tanks may result in small streams of water flowing from household taps.

For now, because of corrosion to the aging pumping main, increasing the water pressure is considered unfeasible due to the extremely high risk of more leakages and pipe bursts.

Water pressure can only be effectively managed when a new pumping main is installed.

To solve the problem, JBALB will not only fix leaking pipes but also try to prevent recurrences.

Sagah said a study on supply shortcomings in the area had been completed and brought to the attention of his Ministry and JBALB.

He revealed the Ministry was already in the midst of seeking funds to improve the pumping main and put an end to leakage and (pipe) bursting problems.

He believed the proposed upgrade and realignment of the pumping main was the best remedy to be undertaken by the government to solve water shortage in Sebangan.

“The project, which has been approved, will cost about RM5 million. Its implementation will start as soon as we have the funds,” he said.

Leakages in the main pumping line are said to have affected the water pressure and storage in the high-level tanks.

Water pressure in the pipes normally depends on the local geography — such as how long the pipe, how the tall the high-level tank and how big the volume of water usage should be.

Suitable water pressure

Until a new pumping main has been replaced, the authorities will always make sure the water pressure in the present pipes is suitable for the community’s everyday use — not at a level that may cause a leak or a burst.

The scope of the Sebangan pumping main project involves the upgrading of the 8km 280mm DI pumping main to 14km 280mm high density polyethylene (HDPE) PN 2.5 main. It’s part of on-going medium term measures to resolve water issues in the area.

Other such measures are maintenance of existing meter stands and meter bridges, upgrading of Sebangan WTP capacity from 0.655 million litres per day (MLD) to two MLD through membrane filtration package plant or installation of new clarifier package plant.

Sagah said two other projects under the medium term measures, worth about 2.3 million, to improve the rural water supply system in Sebangan, had also been approved.

These involve rehabilitation of the distribution main in Sebangan Town and Kampung Tungkah Melayu, other miscellaneous (RM1.75 million) items and provision of electricity to Sebangan WTP from Sesco (RM600,000).

The WTP in Sebangan is now operating 24 hours but still using generator sets. The plant produces 574,500 litres daily while the daily consumption is 308,500 litres.

Sagah said in the long term, his Ministry would be working on an infrastructure to link homes in Sebangan, Sebuyau and Asajaya to the Kuching Water Board supply line.

“This will take some time because it’s long distance and expensive. We need the funding for this long term project and will try our best to obtain it.”

Under the proposed Samarahan Coastal Regional Water Supply programme, some RM195 million is required for supply from KWB to Asajaya, Sebangan and Sebuyau.

Currently, Sebuyau is served by the Sebuyau WTP, which has a capacity of 3.2 MLD. The plant produces 1.8 million litres now while the daily consumption is about 1 million litres.

To improve the reliability of treated water supply in Sebuyau, proposed projects, worth about RM10.9 million, are now being studied under medium-term measures.

The projects will include pipeline replacement to the existing 280mm HDPE at Tebelu, costing RM2.8 million; pipeline replacement to the existing 355mm HDPE pumping main at Sebuyau (RM7.8 million) and non-revenue water improvement in Sebuyau (RM250,000).

Julaihi told the dialogue session he believed when all the medium term projects were implemented, Sebangan would enjoy reliable treated water supply.

He said once the pumping main had been replaced, disruptions would be a thing of the past.

“I can understand the problem you people are facing now but I can assure you the government is now seriously looking into rectifying the problems facing Sebangan. Your problem is getting the attention of the state government.

Both short and medium term measures have already been put in place, pending implementation,” he said.

He said the long term measures would also cover Sebuyau as a whole.