PETALING JAYA: Doris Tan had been bracing for a wet Christmas as rain had been forecast, with the possibility of floods, but she was totally unprepared for a dry Yuletide, with no water from the tap.
“It seems like it always happens before the festivities,” moaned the 52-year-old housewife.
“I was preparing my family’s feast for Christmas when my daughter ran out of her room to tell me that Selangor is going to have water cuts,” said Tan, who lives in USJ in Subang Jaya.
While she does have two barrels of water stored at home for washing up, the sudden water cut in the state has dampened her family’s festive mood, despite the clear skies.
The water cut, affecting 247 areas in the state was caused by odour pollution at the Sungai Semenyih and Bukit Tampoi water treatment plants (LRA) this morning after a crash involving a lorry carrying perfume essence.
“This old problem has been happening again and again without any solutions taken.
“It definitely affected my Christmas preparations,” said Tan, who still managed to put up a brave front.
“I am going to make sure that we end this year on a high note,” she said.
She has already prepared the roast turkey and root vegetables to go with the Christmas feast but has yet to prepare the appetisers and desserts.
“I have sent my children out to buy drinking water from supermarkets so we can finish cooking and celebrate Christmas,” she said.
Luckily, she and her family had booked a Christmas Eve dinner at a hotel in the Kuala Lumpur city centre.
May Chong, 30, also scrambled all over town to buy a few gallons of drinking water as soon as she realised that her neighbourhood in Puchong had been hit by the water cut.
Chong, who had invited guests over for Christmas Eve dinner, said she will be using paper plates and cups as well as disposable cutleries.
“I have some close friends coming over, so I was panicking, but thankfully I have finished preparing for the potluck dinner.
“My friends will also bring bottles of water, just to be on the safe side.
“I didn’t manage to store any water, but I could buy drinking water from the store. I live alone, so I can ration,” said the social media executive.
Engineer Chris Koo, 44, said his family was surprised to wake up to dry taps at their home in Subang Jaya.
“We hadn’t prepared anything for Christmas, so it took us by surprise.
“I called Air Selangor to find out when the water will be restored but they just said they are working on the issue and would update us from time to time,” said the frustrated father of two.
Koo, his wife and their children - aged eight and 10 - will most probably spend Christmas in Ampang with his parents now.
“We will go to my parents’ house in Ampang for Christmas Eve dinner - and stay there.
“Most good hotels are booked, so there is not much choice,” he said.
People have also taken to social media to rant about the water cuts.
Twitter user @Malacire said, “What’s the issue? On every festivity, there must be an issue.”
@YogiPoe also questioned, “Why is there always no water during festivities? It’s weird.”
@NatalieYip6 tweeted, “Every eve of Christmas, there is a water disruption!”
@RedlandMan1 said, “It’s Christmas Eve. People want to cook, shower and use the toilet.”
