Santiago (front row, fifth from left) and SPAN Strategic Planning director Masdi Abd Karim (on his left) with non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders at the outreach programme in Petaling Jaya.
SELANGOR’S Zero Discharge Policy (ZDP) should be adopted by other states to improve water sustainability, says National Water Services Commission (SPAN) chairman Charles Santiago.
The policy, introduced last June, requires all industrial wastewater to be treated and reused rather than discharged into the environment. This is to help reduce pollution while promoting recycling.
Santiago said the approach would push companies to take greater responsibility for their water usage and ensure long-term supply security.
“Selangor is doing the right thing. This year, they will enforce ZDP, meaning that companies will be charged if any waste is discharged externally.
“This pushes industries to recycle. All factories – big and small – must adopt this approach, and other states should follow suit,” he said.
Since Selangor’s policy was introduced, some 30,000 businesses from 13 sectors have registered for the ZDP licence.
Santiago also pointed out Malaysia’s high water consumption, with the average person using 228litres per day.
As a comparison, he said Singapore’s per capita usage was 142litres with plans to reduce it further to 130litres.
“Malaysia does not need to go that low yet, but we must start reducing our consumption.”
Past efforts to raise awareness have had limited success, particularly among adults.
To change this, Santiago suggested incorporating water conservation education in schools, enabling children to influence household water use.
Citing Sweden and Norway where children remind their parents to save water, he said Malaysia should encourage similar behavioural changes.
Beyond reducing household consumption, he added that industries should also adopt sustainable practices.
Santiago said this when speaking at SPAN’s WaterWise NGO Outreach Programme in Petaling Jaya, aimed at exploring ways to get the younger generation involved in water conservation.
He also urged businesses to invest in rainwater harvesting and make better use of reclaimed water.
He highlighted Indah Water Konsortium’s (IWK) recycled water, which is safe for industrial use, as an alternative to relying on treated water supplies.
On industries that require vast amounts of water, such as hyperscale data centres, he advised state governments to be strict when approving such projects, to protect their water resource.
“If you don’t have enough water, don’t grant the licence,” he said.
To encourage conservation, Santiago also proposed financial incentives for households to invest in water-saving devices.
He suggested that in the 13th Malaysia Plan, the Federal Government could provide RM300 to RM500 per household to support such efforts.
He also called for greater investment in technology that improved water efficiency, including modern irrigation systems for agriculture and smart meters to monitor household usage.
The authorities, he said, must also implement stricter action to deal with excessive water consumption, particularly among industries.
“As climate patterns change and demand rises, we must act now to ensure future generations have access to clean water,” he said.
