Thursday March 29, 2007
100,000 in Kedah affected by water cut as repairs on failed pumps continue
By EMBUN MAJID
ALOR STAR: They wake up in the wee hours to fill their pails with water. Some of them resort to using water from wells. Such has been the routine for hundreds of families, following water disruptions in several parts of Kedah over the past four days.
The supply was disrupted in parts of Alor Star, Kubang Pasu, Kota Star and Pendang after eight pumps at a water treatment plant in Pelubang, near here, broke down on Saturday.
About 100,000 people have been affected by the disruptions, including the students and staff of the Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM).
Thirty-year-old marketing executive Yusli Yaacob, from Jerlun, said his family had to rely on supplies from Public Works Department trucks, waking up early to carry pails of water for their daily chores since Sunday.
Their dirty laundry was piling up while they waited for the water supply to resume, he said.
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Running low: UUM senior technician Muhamad Rashidi Ramli showing the water level of the storage tank at the university yesterday. The water was only about 0.5m deep, compared with the maximum level of 6m. |
Zaiton Abdul Jalil, 52, from Darulaman Height, said she went to her brother’s house in nearby Taman Suasana Damai to bathe and wash clothes.
“Water supply returned this afternoon but the pressure is very low. I still store water in case there is another water cut,” she added.
Lectures at UUM have been suspended until Sunday but some students continue to stay at the campus.
Multimedia student Aiza Zila Abdul, 23, said she used the time off to complete her final-year assignments.
Lorries carrying water were seen heading for the campus yesterday.
UUM public relations director Mohd Zaini Nasri said the university’s water storage tank was now almost empty and they were waiting to fill it up once supply is restored.
The tank, which can store 1.9 million litres of water, has its own filter and is used to supply water to the campus population.
Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid said water supply to affected areas would resume by midnight.
Until yesterday, three water pumps at the plant had been fixed.
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