Dr Rundi (left) receives a memento from longhouse chieftain Mary Geruna.
SIBU: Ministry of Utilities is doing a full study on harnessing water from dams as a holistic way to resolve water issues in Sarawak.
According to minister Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi, the water from the dams is ‘clear, clean and safe’.
“My ministry is looking into ways to tap water from dams for the supply throughout Sarawak. We are also doing a study on ways to distribute them (water) – whether (through) piping or channelling via rivers.
“We expect to brief our preliminary findings to the cabinet – perhaps, in two months’ time.
“The ultimate aim is to have the quality of water deemed acceptable by WHO (World Health Organisation),” Dr Rundi – also Kemena assemblyman – said after attending a programme hosted by Bawang Assan branch of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) at Rumah Mary, Sungai Bidut here recently.
He added: “Actually, the government is thinking holistic ways to resolve water issues in Sarawak because we know that the river (water) now is still not that bad, but I think it is getting more polluted. We need to have clean water sources and therefore, this is the one that we are looking at – water grid.
“Nonetheless, it’s not finalised yet – we are doing the study.”
Meanwhile, Dr Rundi said his ministry is trying to find a safer alternative to treating water than the conventional method of using chlorine gas, which is actually considered as a hazardous material.
“So, we are trying to look for an alternative like electro-chlorination – it is the power together with salt solution that we can do to produce hypochlorite – this will be going all the way to the pipes – that will reach the consumers. So, this is our plan.”