KOTA KINABALU: The construction of the Telibong 2 water treatment plant will help to address the water supply shortage problem for residents in Telipok, Water Department director Datuk Willis Ansoi said.
This is because the 80mld per day supplied by the existing Telibong water treatment plant is no longer sufficient to meet the demand in Telipok, he said, adding that the new plant would cost more than RM400 million.
He added that the plant had been proposed under two previous Malaysian Plans but was only approved in the 11th Malaysian Plan.
“Telibong Phase 2 will see the production of another 80mld of treated water per day and we expect the construction of the plant to start next year. It is expected to be completed in three years,” he said.
Willis who was met at the state-level World Town Planning Day 2017 conference here yesterday, said this when asked to comment on the ongoing water supply shortage problem faced by residents in Taman Rimba and Bandar Sierra in Telipok.
The residents have been without proper water supply for more than five days.
According to Willis, representatives from Bandar Sierra and Taman Rimba have visited the Water Department to find out what was happening.
“We have explained the situation to them and also disclosed the temporary, short and long-term solutions to the problem,” he said.
Willis explained that the actual cause of the dry pipes in the area is the insufficient supply produced by the Telibong plant which is already at maximum level.
As a short-term measure for the affected residents, the Water Department is adjusting the water pressure in nearby areas so that there will be water supply to Bandar Sierra and Taman Rimba.
The department is also sending water to the affected areas, he said and added that the shortage did not affect Hospital Wanita dan Kanak Kanak Likas as claimed by some.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister cum Infrastructure Development Minister Tan Sri Pairin Kitingan who was also at the conference, assured the affected residents that the Water Department is taking steps to resolve the problem.
“Our department and its officers have gone to the ground to find out the cause of the problem and other than the low water pressure, the other cause was the electricity disruption in the area,” he said when asked to comment on the matter.
“I am not so sure about the water pump (in the area) being damaged but I think there is some connection to the electricity supply … shortage of power in Telipok area. So this will be tackled together with other relevant agencies.
“We have activated our teams and they are trying to resolve the problem. Water is being delivered that goes without saying, we have to deliver, our lorries are going there. Hopefully we can resolve the problem within this week,” he added.