Start distributing water to Kanowit residents affected by low water supply, authorities urged

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(From left) Hong, Thomas, Chen, Charlie, and Susie at the press conference.

SIBU: More than 7,000 residents in the Kanowit area are affected by low water supply which has been ongoing for more than a week.

According to Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Kanowit sub-branch chief George Chen, he received more than 100 complaints from associations, community leaders, and the residents and especially shop lots regarding this issue.

He said that coffee shop operators were unhappy as they the problem had caused inconvenience to them whenever they need to clean their utensils.

“I urge the Kanowit Water Board or the Rural Water Supply Department (JBALB) to start distributing water to shop lots, villages and longhouses while waiting for this problem to be solved,” he told a press conference this morning.

Chen, who is also the treasurer for the Majlis Bimbingan Sarawak, said he consulted the divisional engineer of (JBALB) yesterday on the reason behind the issue.

He said that the engineer explained that both filters in the water treatment plant had been blocked.

He was told that JBALB had cleaned and cleared one blockage in the first filter.

“Works on the cleaning of the second filter had begun and anticipated to complete soon and water pressure will be back to normal in three to five days time,” he said.

Two workers cleaning the blockage in one of the filters.

Besides urging for water to be distributed to the residents and shop lots while waiting the problem to be solved, Chen also urged JBALB to look into the long term plan of constructing bigger water treatment plant to meet the growing population of Kanowit.

He said the existing water treatment plant that had been there for decades could no longer meet the growing demand for water by the people of Kanowit.

“I would like JBALB to look into the growing population of Kanowit,” he said, adding that the site for the current water treatment plant which is on the hill top is dangerous.

He also said that the wastage from the palm oil plantation also caused the water to be polluted.

Also present at the press conference were Kanowit sub branch deputy chief Thomas Laja, secretary Susie Buah, Kanowit sub-branch information unit deputy chief Charlie Genam and PKR Lanang sub-branch chief Hong Soon Kieng.