SIM BAK HENG New Straits Times 3 Apr 15;
JOHOR BARU: Food sellers are forced to shut down their business today as their tap runs dry since yesterday following the closure of two water treatment plants along Sungai Johor.
The closure was due to water contamination caused by oil spill along a 15-kilometre stretch of the river.
Businesses which largely depend on water to operate such as saloons, laundry shops and car wash, could only offer limited service or even have to stop their service.
Food seller Hussain Yusof, of Bandar Baru Uda, said he couldn't open his food stall this morning as there was no water supply.
"Food business is always the most severely affected whenever there is water disruption, as we need water to make drinks and for cleaning purpose.
"As I operate my business only in the morning, I could not open my stall today at all. This is a big loss.
"Even at home, my tap runs dry starting yesterday afternoon, it was not easy to sleep last night without bathing, especially when the weather is hot these days," he said.
Saloon owner Anika Turis said she could only offer hair cut today, but no perming and washing service as both need plenty of water.
"Surprisingly there was no water disruption notice this time, or else we will have enough time to store some water," she said.
Housewife Lily Foong, from Taman Impian Emas, said it is annoying to sleep without bathing last night, and to wait up without any water to bath and brush teeth.
She hoped the water supply will resume by today, as it is very irritating to live without water.
It was reported a major oil spill which occurred at the upstream of Sungai Johor has forced SAJ Holding Sdn Bhd, the concessionaire which supplies treated water in Johor, to shut down the operations of the Semanggar and Sungai Johor treatment plants from 8am on Thursday.
As a result of the closure, some 1.25 million people from a total of 250,000 establishments, including households, living in Johor Baru, Nusajaya and part of Kulaijaya are expected to experience water disruption.
Immediately after the discovery of the oil slick, the Johor government had mobilised officers from the Department of Environment, SAJ Holdings Sdn Bhd and the Johor Health Department to come up with precautionary measures, such as installing silt-curtain like structure to prevent the spread of the oil spill further down the river.
Initial investigation traced the oil spill to a used tyre processing factory near Felda Taib Andak in Kulai.
There are five water treatment plants located along Sungai Johor. The other three, which are located further down the river, are the Sungai Sayong, Linggiu, and Bandar Tenggara treatment plants.
Meanwhile, SAJ Holdings head of corporate communication Jamaluddin Jamil said the two treatment plants had resumed operation from 11.30am today.
Factory owner linked to spill
YEE XIANG YUN The Star 4 Apr 15;
JOHOR BARU: The owner of a factory that may have caused an oil spill in Sungai Johor could face legal action for negligence.
If the water samples collected from the drains near the factory in Felda Taib Andak, Kulaijaya, and Sungai Johor match, the factory owner could be charged soon, said state Department of Environment director Mokhtar Abdul Majid.
He said the samples were collected on Thursday and had been sent to the Chemical Department to be tested.
“We will compile the investigation papers and submit them to the Public Prosecutor’s office for further action,” he said yesterday.
Mokhtar said the state DOE had sealed the factory and directed it to stop operations pending the outcome of the chemical report.
“Usually it takes about two weeks but in urgent cases like this, we will push for the results,” he said.
Workers from the factory which believed to be the caused of the huge oil slick in Sungai Johor gathering the fabric sheets used to contain oil at Sungai Johor near Kulaijaya. ABDUL RAHMAN EMBONG / The Star.
The oil spill was believed to be diesel-based and could have come from tyre burning, which produces oil as a by-product.
The spill forced the Semangar and Sungai Johor water treatment plants to be closed, affecting some 500,000 residents in parts of Nusajaya, Kulaijaya, Ulu Tiram and here.
Checks by The Star found that stacks of used tyres were stored in a vacant land next to the factory.
A visit to a stream that supplies water to the treatment plants saw some workers putting up an oil boom with fabric sheets to contain the spill.
Sungai Johor and Semangar water treatment plants resumed operations at 9am and 11.30am respectively yesterday.
Syarikat Air Johor (SAJ) corporate communications chief Jamaluddin Jamal said continuous filtering and treatment had to be done to ensure that it was safe for consumption before the plants were reopened.
Water supply was restored in stages after that.
For more information, contact the SAJ Info Centre hotline at 1800-88-7474 or SMS 019-772 7474 or email customer.care@saj.com.my.
Water running again in three major Johor districts
YEE XIANG YUN AND NORBAITI PHAHARORADZI The Star 3 Apr 15;
KOTA TINGGI: The Sungai Johor water treatment plant here resumed operations at 9am Friday a day after it was closed due to oil spill.
The plant, and another one in Semangar, were closed on Thursday after the oil spill was detected along Sungai Johor, causing major water supply disruption to some 500,000 consumers in Johor Baru, Kulaijaya and Nusajaya.
Syarikat Air Johor corporate communications chief Jamaluddin Jamal said the Semangar water treatment plant was still closed as the water still reeked of diesel odour.
He said the public will receive water supply in stages from the Sungai Johor water treatment plant throughout today.
For more information, contact the SAJ Info Centre hotline at 1800-88-7474 or SMS 019-772 7474 or email customer.care@saj.com.my.
