Water emergency plan in place

PETALING JAYA: Water operators nationwide have put in place a water supply contingency plan (WSCP) if capacity at dams approach critical levels when the El Nino phenomenon hits the country.
National Water Services Commission (SPAN) chief executive officer Datuk Teo Yen Hua said the operators will activate WSCP to ensure consumers continue getting supply of treated water during the dry spell.
For this to happen, he said, the operators must closely monitor water levels at rivers and dams to ensure there is sufficient raw water to produce drinking water.
"We will also do regular cloud-seeding exercises, especially at water catchment areas," Teo told theSun.
Besides these, he said the operators will also embark on additional water supply relief facilities such as water tankers and static tanks, at areas facing water shortage .
These are among the measures put in place by water operators following a meeting with SPAN and the Malaysia Meteorological Department (MMD) early last month.
Teo said the meeting, chaired by MMD, was to brief water operators, including those from Sabah and Sarawak, on what to expect when El-Nino arrives.
"We are fully aware of the risk and impact that El Nino will bring, thus, we have urged all water operators and other relevant stakeholders to be prepared for the dry weather by putting in place some of the monitoring strategies and WSCP," he added.
He said alternative sources of raw water are also being explored.
Asked if consumers, especially in the Klang Valley, would be hit again by water rationing, Teo said it would depend on the availability of raw water.
"Raw water resources are under the purview of the state governments. Therefore, they will need to update SPAN on the status of their raw water storage. Only then can we make an informed decision on whether or not to impose water rationing," said Teo.
Meanwhile, a check on the Selangor Water Management Authority (LUAS) website revealed that the seven dams in the state showed a slight increase in the water level due to continued rainfall over the past few weeks.
The Batu dam recorded the highest water level at 90.23%, followed by Semenyih dam (83.99%), Tasik Subang (82.84%), Sungai Tinggi (70.76%), Klang Gates dam (69.61%), Langat dam (65.60%) and Sungai Selangor dam (42.92%).
Teo advised consumers to be prudent in their water usage to ensure continued supply of treated water.