mohd farhaan shah The Star 4 Apr 19;
JOHOR BARU: High-level of ammonia pollution in Sungai Sayong has disrupted water supply to about 17,000 households in Kulai.
Johor International Trade, Investment and Utility Committee chairman Jimmy Puah Wee Tse said a reservoir at a bio-composite centre next to an oil palm refinery in Sedenak burst, causing the ammonia-contaminated water to flow into Sungai Sayong, which is one of the creeks that supplies raw water to Sungai Johor.
Puah, who is also Bukit Batu assemblyman, said the incident occurred at around 7am on Wednesday (April 3).
“At around 6.30pm, both the Sayong 1 and Sayong 2 water treatment plants, had to be shut down as it could not process the raw water due to high levels of ammonia,” he said in a statement Thursday (April 4).
Puah added that the Tai Hong water treatment plant, which is operated by the Public Utility Board (PUB), also ceased operations.
He said the authorities have taken the necessary action against the oil palm refinery by cancelling its raw water abstraction licence and serve a compound notice following the incident.
“The Johor government will not compromise over the incident and the Johor Water Regulatory Body (Bakaj) has cancelled its water abstraction licence with immediate affect,” he added.
Puah said that Kulai was the only affected area, adding that the water supply would be restored fully at about 10pm on Thursday.
17,000 in Kulai face water disruption following ammonia contamination
Bernama New Straits Times 4 Apr 19;
JOHOR BAHRU: About 17,000 account holders under the Ranhill SAJ water company in Kulai have been facing water supply disruption since yesterday morning due to ammonia contamination at Sungai Sayong.
Johor International Trade, Investment and Utility Committee chairman Jimmy Puah Wee Tse said the pollution occurred as a reservoir at a bio-composite centre next to an oil palm mill in Sedenak was broken, causing water containing ammonia to flow into Sungai Sayong.
“The contamination caused the Sayong 1 and Sayong 2 water treatment plants to be closed at 6.30 pm on April 3 because the water could not be treated due to high ammonia content.
"At 5.30am and 11.30am today, operations at the Semanggar and Sg Johor water treatment plants were also halted due to the contamination, before the one in Tai Hong was closed at 1.30pm,” he said in a statement here today.
Puah said the water supply was expected to return by 10pm.
“The authorities have taken action against the premises by cancelling the raw water abstraction licence with immediate effect, and will impose a compound based on the of the severity incident.
“The Johor government will not compromise with irresponsible parties,” he added. – BERNAMA
