KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is undertaking nine projects to upgrade water systems or build new assets to meet growing water demand in the state.
State Works Minister Datuk Shahelmey Yahya said the Sabah Water Department has 89 water treatment plants statewide with a supply capacity of 1,534 million litres of water a day (MLD).
The plants, he added, are currently producing 1,420MLD.
He said the department operates seven water dams, 1,126 raw water pump houses, 161 generator sets and 1,150 water reservoir tanks.
However, he said the 89 plants were already operating at maximum capacity.
Shahelmey said this was due to the growing population, rapid development and uptake of new economic activities.
"The Sabah Water Department also faces challenges... due to availability of raw water sources, climate change, unsustainable assets and high rate of losses in non-revenue water," he said at the state assembly on Wednesday (July 10).
He said the department was undertaking nine long-term projects which will be completed in the next two to five years.
These are:
– Phase 1 of the Lahad Datu water supply scheme
– Project to increase the capacity of the Telibong II water treatment plant
– Project to increase the capacity of the Kogopon water treatment plant
– Upgrading the water supply system in Sandakan
– Phase III of the Tawau water supply scheme which includes the construction of a dam
– Construction of the Cinta Mata II treatment plant in Tawau
– Construction of the Mamut treatment plant in Ranau
– Construction of the Pitas 2 treatment plant
– Urgent water supply scheme in Kasigui
Shahelmey said the department also plans to increase the water supply capacity in the west coast, east coast and interior zones as listed under the federal funding programme for implementation under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP).
"Besides planning and building facilities for long-term and high-impact water supply, the Sabah Water Department is also undertaking projects to expand the water coverage in rural areas throughout the state under the Rural Water Supply Programme.
"The funding will come under the federal grants from the Rural and Regional Development Ministry.
"The projects under this programme is expected to achieve the target of 90% coverage for treated water supply in rural areas statewide by 2035," Shahelmey said.
