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Published: Thursday January 10, 2013 MYT 7:03:00 PM
Updated: Thursday January 10, 2013 MYT 10:21:59 PM

By-pass pipe to be ready Sunday to bring some relief to Klang Valley water crisis


It is a back-breaking and sometimes emotional process for those who finally get their hands on some water like this elderly woman at Ampang Mewah whose area is affected by the prolonged water cut. Starpix/AZHAR MAHFOF It is a back-breaking and sometimes emotional process for those who finally get their hands on some water like this elderly woman at Ampang Mewah whose area is affected by the prolonged water cut. Starpix/AZHAR MAHFOF

KUALA LUMPUR: Work to install a by-pass pipe to channel water via the gravity method from the Dusun Kubong water retention pond to AU3 Baru and AU3 Lama suction tanks is scheduled to be completed by Sunday.

National Water Services Commission (SPAN) chief executive officer Datuk Teo Yen Hua said when completed, water supply to the two tanks need not go through the Wangsa Maju pump house.

"The water disruption in the Klang Valley was caused by the reduction of pumping rate of 30 million litres per day (MLD) of water supply from the Wangsa Maju pump house.

"At this time, the Wangsa Maju pumping system is operating at a restricted flow of 180MLD compared to the previous rate of 210 MLD.

"This is to prevent recurrence of pump failure due to overloading," he said in a statement on Thursday.

He said 30MLD of water that would be available to the two suction tanks would be channelled to areas most in need.

Teo said AU3 Baru supplied water to areas AU1 to AU5, Keramat, Ulu Klang Free Trade Zone and surrounding areas encompassing 16,215 accounts.

AU3 Lama serviced Wangsa Melawati, Taman Permata, Taman Setapak Jaya and surrounding areas with accounts numbering 14,758, he said. Installation of the by-pass pipe, proposed by Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Syabas), began on Tuesday after receiving the nod from SPAN.

Teo also said SPAN, the Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry, Pengurusan Aset Air Berhad (PAAB) and the Selangor governmnet were expediting several mitigation projects to increase supply capacity in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.

"In view of the reserve margin of water supply in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya being at a low level currently, consumers are urged to use water sparingly," he said.

About half a million residents in Gombak, Ampang and Pandan in the Klang Valley have been facing intermittent water supply since Dec 29 after the Wangsa Maju pump house experienced malfunctions. - Bernama

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