Dirty water blues in Bakong

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Students, teachers have to depend on water kiosk for potable water, supply from the taps stinks

Students take turns filling up plastic bottles with treated water from the 24-hour water kiosk.

MIRI: Teachers and students of SMK Bakong have been depending on the roadside water kiosk near Beluru town for their daily water supply over the past three days.

More than 300 students from the secondary school are facing problem in getting potable water supply, as the taps there only dispense smelly yellowish water.

The same situation also affects the primary school, SK Bakong.

Both are boarding schools.

According to a teacher from SMK Bakong, he and his colleagues have been helping the students obtain water from a self-service water kiosk by the road leading to Lapok town, about one kilometre from the school.

“The students have been carrying boxes of empty plastic bottles, which they fill with water from the kiosk and carry them back to the hostel for drinking and cooking.

“I have been driving them to and from the kiosk using my car,” said the teacher, who requested anonymity.

There are two water kiosks in the area, but the one located in Beluru town has run out of supply.

“Only this kiosk (by the road leading to Lapok) is still dispensing water, and this is definitely a cheaper alternative,” said the teacher, adding that one litre of water only costs 20 sen, while bottled drinking water sold in Beluru town would normally cost RM10 per carton –each containing 12 units of 1.5-litre bottles.

When met with his students as they were refilling their water bottles yesterday, the teacher said it was their third trip to the kiosk.

KK Jeparali Tiong

Meanwhile, the ‘Ketua Kaum’ (headman) of Kampung Melayu Beluru, Jeparali Tiong, said the problem of smelly, yellow water coming out of the taps was also affecting the residents in the Bakong area.

“This problem has been on-going for about a month. The local community leaders have voiced out the matter to the authorities too many a time – yet, the problem still persists.

“Therefore, I really hope that the relevant authorities could take immediate action to solve this problem and provide us with clean and better-quality water,” he said, adding that they had also faced water supply disruption.

When asked about any possible reason for the smelly and yellowish, Jeparali said it could be due to floods.

He said due to the situation, he and his family have to depend on rainwater for drinking and cooking.

“But when there’s not much rain, the residents have to rely on bottled drinking water, priced at RM10 per carton, which would normally last for about two or three days.

“Imagine having a big family – RM10 per carton can be a burden, especially for a poor family. Therefore, we really hope that this situation could be resolved immediately,” said Jeparali.

Melayu Beluru has about 700 residents.