MEDIA STATEMENT
25 JUNE 2015
Kuala Lumpur – Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (SYABAS) wish to refer the report on sudden supply water cut at Taman Sentosa, Klang published by The Star dated 29th May 2015 (Views, pg47).
The most recent water supply disruption at Taman Sentosa, Klang was on 18th May 2015 to 19 May 2015. It was due to the 450mm diameter mild steel pipe that is supplying treated water to the area burst pipe of on 18th May 2015 at Taman Sri Andalas, Klang caused by development work undertaken by third party. There was a delay in completing the repair work due to the technical difficulty at site for the repair completed with rainfall that flooded the covered site. The pipe is located adjustment another pipe of 1,050mm diameter, which was also damaged by the same incident. The repair work was completed and the treated water suppy resumed to the area on 19 May 2015.
For the other unscheduled water disruption at the area, they were caused by frequent pipe burst and pipe leak as the pipelines is already more than 35 years old. The first incident of pipe burst was the unplasticized polyvinyl chloride (UPVC) pipe of 100mm diameter on 4th May 2015. On the second incident, a 100mm diameter Asbestos Cement (AC) pipelines was reported to have burst on 12th May 2015. For both incidents, the repair works were completed within less than 2 hours and the treated water supply at the area resumed immediatly after that.
For information, the pipe replacement program for aging pipes planned by SYABAS earlier has been jeopardised by the freeze imposed by the relevant authorities since 2008 pending the completion of the proposed Selangor water supply industry restructuring exercise. To-date, with the exception for some critical areas as determined by the relevant authorities, pipe replacement in other areas including Taman Sentosa are being withheld. In the meantime and until the authorities approve the pipe replacement work, SYABAS would use it best effort to regulate the water pressure in the areas to reduce the frequency of pipe burst and leak and to mitigate the inconvenience faced by the consumers.
On the concern of no prior notice of water supply disruption issued by SYABAS, the timing of the pipe burst and leak incidents in the area cannot be determined although its frequency is anticipated due to the aged of the pipe PVC. However, repairs are always being undertaken within shortest possible time frame to shorten the water supply disruptions. Should the water supply disruption prolong due to delay in completion of the repair, emergency relief water supply would always be despatched to the areas using water tankers.
With the above, we hope the residents of Taman Sentosa, Klang could understand better of the situation.
~END~
PRISCILLA ALFRED
Executive Director, Corporate Affairs Division