KUALA LUMPUR: The National Water Services Commission (SPAN) has hit out at the Perak Water Board (LAP) and ordered the immediate shutdown of the Ayer Ganda water treatment plant in Gerik, after traces of arsenic poison was discovered two months ago.
SPAN chairman Charles Santiago said the body was first alerted of the arsenic exposure on Jan 9, through a letter from the Health Ministry.
“On Jan 14 we had advised LAP to resolve the issue or shut down the facility’s operation,“ he told reporters at the Parliament lobby today.
He added that SPAN received a second letter on March from the Health Ministry alerting the commission to the fact that there were still traces of arsenic in the water plant.
On April 4, low levels of arsenic were found in water samples taken from Sungai Rui in Hulu Perak.
The Perak government has set up a special taskforce to handle pollution in the river.
