JELEBU: It started off as a project to supply half the raw water needs of Negeri Sembilan, as well as Kuala Lumpur. However five years on, the Sungai Triang water supply scheme is at risk of turning into a failure as corners are cut, environmental guidelines are ignored and the project accumulates at least RM11 million in cost overruns.

For instance, Package Five of the six-part job which commenced in 2009 was supposed to have been completed on Feb 14, 2012, but has been delayed by almost three years.

With the current rainy season, those living along Sg Triang and surrounding low-lying areas downstream of Kuala Klawang face a high risk of flooding.

While project consultant SMHB Sdn Bhd has to answer for most of the irregularities, the Negeri Sembilan government, which owns the project, and Syarikat Air Negeri Sembilan (SAINS), the operator, are equally accountable.

The buck stops with State Secretary Datuk Mat Ali Hassan who is the superintendent officer of the entire project, while Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hassan is the chairman of SAINS.

Documents sighted by The Edge Financial Daily indicate that the state government and SAINS were aware of the reluctance of several contractors to proceed with the job because of alleged irregularities and breaches of the regulations.

The execution of the Triang water supply scheme, which cost the state government RM600 million via a federal loan, has exposed the following issues of concern about the conduct of the authorities: (i) Indiscriminate river-filling along an 8km stretch of one of Sg Triang’s tributaries to build a path to service the pipeline has led to the narrowing of the river; (ii) Constructing a pipeline in Sungai Triang, when the Drainage and Irrigation Department’s (DID) general regulation is that the pipeline alignment must be a minimum of 20m from the edge of the riverbank; (iii) Laying large-diameter pipes of up to 1.7m underneath occupied homes, which poses a danger as a leak would result in soil erosion and could compromise the foundations of these structures; (iv) The project consultant failed to factor in that a Muslim cemetery is in the path of the pipeline; (v) At least one resident has refused to move out, despite receiving about RM80,000 in compensation for his property being acquired; (vi) Rerouting around 60% of the pipeline’s alignment as the original plan did not adhere to Public Works Department (JKR) standing regulations that large-diameter raw water pipelines cannot be constructed along road shoulders and (vii) As a result of the rerouting, multiple variation orders were issued causing a cost overrun of up to RM11 million for only one of the six packages.

Impact of the narrowing of a river

A source privy to the project explained the dangers to the surrounding areas when a river’s width has been narrowed.

“You cannot expect water to go where you want it to go. Water-flow is governed by the terrain and the laws of gravity. Any changes to the terrain will have consequences,” said the source. “By building an access path which narrows as well as blocks the natural drainage patterns of the river, water will be forced to backflow and collect in low-lying areas.

“Those living upriver of the access path, from the outskirts of Kuala Klawang to Purun, will suffer, especially during the annual monsoon season when the water level in the river will rise to compensate for the narrowing,” he said.

He warned that floods will be more intense as the water will rise higher and low-lying areas flooded longer as the water channel has narrowed.

The DID already received warning signs of possible disaster looming for Kuala Klawang as its records show that Sg Triang has overflowed its banks four times in the last three years.

In 2010, a total of 200 houses in Kuala Klawang faced intense flooding and damage which was partly attributed to the project.

“At that time, they needed to clear the forest to build the Sg Triang Dam in Kampung Gagu. There was a sudden heavy downpour and since there was no vegetation to slow the run-off, it all went downhill and straight into the river,” the source said.

“There was a DID floodgate nearby, but the water brought down silt and debris from the forest clearing which blocked and damaged the gate. Once the gate was blocked, the water found its own path.

“When the water eventually subsided a day later, some 200 houses were damaged and the river was 6m from its original course,” the source said.

The dangers of pipelines under private properties

A civil engineer with decades of experience in the water industry also pointed to the dangers of laying large-diameter pipes underneath other properties.

The engineer, who also requested anonymity, pointed out: “Pipelines at some time will leak. These leaks will need to be fixed. This cannot be attended to promptly if the pipeline is on private property.

“A pipe leaking water will slowly erode the earth underneath the property and eventually compromise the foundation, damaging the property. That is how sinkholes form.

“The collapse of Highland Tower was attributed to the flow of water which compromised the building’s foundations,” he noted, referring to the incident in December 1993 in Taman Hillview, Ulu Kelang.

He also warned that the moment the pipes are commissioned, it will cause initial vibration through the entire line as air is forced out by the oncoming water flow.

“Should the property be on sandy soil, this vibration may cause compaction, possibly leading to structural damage of property,” he said.

Laying a pipeline in a river

A project contractor also took a swipe at the state government for instructing a contractor to lay a corrosive pipeline inside Sg Triang itself.

“It was the most ridiculous thing I’ve seen ... The pipeline’s alignment was designed at the river’s edge with half the pipeline in the river.

“The consultants figured out that if they comply with the DID’s conditions, they have to lay it on the road shoulder which is against JKR regulations,” he said.

He explained that if properly placed, non-corrosive underground the pipes can last around 40 to 60 years but regular pipes placed under water are not designed to withstand the corrosive action of a flowing river.

“Also, if there is a leak, how are we to know where it is? Worse, what happens when dead things in the river are sucked into the damaged pipeline and sent along to be treated and onwards to the consumer?” he asked.

Asked if the project can still be salvaged, a source involved in one of the packages said: “Everything can be fixed with time and costs.”

He said the entire project should return to the drawing board.

“This begs the question as to why this was not done in the first place and why the project consultants have not been taken to task and the state government held accountable for dereliction of duty.”

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on December 29, 2014.