Malaysia: Semenyih factory main culprit of river pollution

The Star 29 Sep 16;

PETALING JAYA: A factory in the Semenyih Hi-Tech Park caused the river pollution that resulted in water supply disruption to over a million homes in the Hulu Langat, Petaling Jaya, Kuala Langat and Sepang districts last Saturday.

Kumpulan Air Selangor corporate communications department head Amin Lin Abdullah said initial investigations confirmed that pollution from the industrial park had affected Lalang River, which provides raw water to the Semenyih treatment plant.

“We have zoomed in on the industrial park as the source of the river’s pollution.

“We are now focusing on identifying the factory responsible for the discharge,” he said yesterday.

He said identifying the factory was a tedious process as the Semenyih Hi-Tech Park has several hundred factories operating.

“We are going on the ground to take water samples.

“Investigations will not stop until we find the source of the pollution,” he added.

Amin Lin added that water samples were being analysed by Air Selangor and an independent company to determine the pollutant involved.

Preliminary test results of raw water samples found no hazardous substances such as sulphide, formaldehyde, selenium, anionic detergent, cyanide and mineral oil.

Sungai Semenyih is the main waterway from the Semenyih dam to the treatment plant about 55km away, and this facility produces more than 630 million litres of clean water daily for consumers.

On Wednesday, Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Dr Maximus Ongkili said the culprit that caused the pollution would be punished.

Dr Ongklili said such incidents affected the lives of people and could not be tolerated.

The Selangor government has said that it would revoke the licence of the factory responsible.


Source of water pollution at Semenyih plant to be known in a week's time
BERNAMA New Straits Times 29 Sep 16;

SHAH ALAM: The source of water pollution which resulted the Semenyih water treatment plant being shut down and causing water supply disruption in Selangor will be known in a week’s time, said Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.

He said authorities were still investigating whether it was caused by the industrial sector or otherwise.

“The plant operators have taken water samples to be analysed following complaints about foul smell emanating from the water.

Subsequently, we have also examined about 226 factories in the vicinity, but investigations had so far not shown any links to the premises as the source of the water pollution,” he told reporters after opening the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (JPS) Senior Managers’ Meeting 2016 here, today.

The Semenyih water treatment plant had been closed several times previously due to odour pollution which affected several areas including Hulu Langat, Kuala Langat, Sepang and Petaling.

According to reports, the pollution may have stemmed from Sungai Lalang at the High Technology Industrial Area in Semenyih. --BERNAMA