Malaysia, Johor: Water projects in the works

YEE XIANG YUN and NABILA AHMAD The Star 8 May 17;

ISKANDAR PUTERI: The Federal and state governments are expected to carry out several water supply projects starting next month as a long-term plan to ensure water sufficiency in Johor.

State Public Works, Rural and Regional Development Committee chairman Datuk Hasni Mohammad said the first step is the Layang 1 Project, a raw water transfer project that would see 159 million litres per day (mLd) moved from the Seluyut Dam in Kota Tinggi to the Upper Layang Dam – enough to fill 64 Olympic-sized pools.

He said long-term plans included the Sungai Johor Water Resources Project, which could eventually yield 600mLd.

To further ensure water security, Hasni said the Layang 2 Project would be undertaken next year to transfer about 159mLd of raw water from Sungai Ulu Sedili Besar to the Upper Layang Dam.

He added that Pengurusan Aset Air Bhd (PAAB) would build a new water treatment plant near Upper Layang Dam that was capable of supplying 318mLd.

“The Sungai Johor Water Resources Project, Layang 2 Project and new water treatment plant are still in the discussion stages, although they are expected to be implemented next year,” Hasni told the state assembly sitting here yesterday.

He said the Federal Government had also suggested that a barrage be built at Sungai Muar to prevent seawater from entering existing water treatment plants during high tide, and that PAAB was expected to undertake the project next year.

Water supply projects, he said, were also expected to be carried out in Mersing, Segamat and Kluang.

These include transferring raw water from Sungai Lenggor to Mersing’s Congok Dam, upgrading the Pemanis water treatment plant and piping system in Segamat, and building a new water treatment plant in Kahang, Kluang.

The state currently supplies treated water to 99.7% of its residents via a network of pipeline stretching 21,910km.

“The state government also makes sure that all the water treatment plants in all districts have a reserve margin of between 10% and 15% to cope with demand,” he said.