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Last Updated: 2:13pm, Feb 05, 2014

GEORGE TOWN (Feb 5): Indah Water Konsortium Sdn Bhd’s (IWK) claim that it was not the source of the smelly black discharge in Sungai Batu Ferringhi is hanging in the balance now.

According to a report of a meeting that was convened yesterday by Department of Environment (DOE) deputy director-general Dr Zulkifli Abdul Rahman, IWK was singled out as the main contributor to the pollution.

The report obtained by fz.com stated that the "flushing" that was allegedly done by IWK contained "suspended solids"(waste or sludge that floats in liquid and can be broken down. It is then filtered before water can be released). This action led to the dark discharge along the beach in Batu Ferringhi.

Yesterday, IWK corporate communications head Azzatullina Pawancik said their pipes were in good working condition and that the cause of the discharge could be due to a solid waste disposal collection centre belonging to hotels nearby.

The 3pm emergency meeting believed to have been attended by state executive councillors, State Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID), DOE, Health Department, and Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) officers, and IWK representatives were given the run-through on the occurrence.

On Monday, The New Straits Times highlighted the visible erosion along a 100-metre stretch of the shoreline, with black effluents along Sungai Batu Ferringhi that flows into the sea there.

Initial indication of water samples collected by DOE revealed traces of E.coli bacteria but the full report will be ready in two weeks.

The beachfront is located along the state’s popular tourist stretch where hotels and food outlets were sited, and visitors swam.

An investigation that firmly concluded IWK was at fault showed that the river upstream near Chin Farm through Bayu Mas was clear. However, when the river passed through IWK’s PEG073 treatment plant, there was evidence of effluent being released which flowed to the rivermouth.

Sources said the plant where the effluent is allegedly being discharged is from an "old prototype filtration and release" plant and not the sewage treatment unit.

The sludge that remained had to be manually removed frequently, packed and sent to the Pulau Burong landfill.

Although the capacity of the plant caters to 30,000 users, it received waste from 35,000 users, resulting in the plant being "choked".

The report also revealed that the treated effluent achieved "Standard B" status, which is a failure to comply with DOE's regulation for sewage treatment and release.

Officers at the meeting took into consideration that solid waste from illegal food traders that set up shop on river land reserves and road belonging to the Land and District Office contributed to the bad quality of water.

When contacted yesterday, Penang DID deputy director (rivers and beach) Md Khuzal Hussain said the pollution in that river has been ongoing for years.

He said the federal government is expected to approve a multi-million ringgit programme to clean polluted Sungai Batu Ferringhi.

Thus, the meeting which acknowledged DID’s programme pending federal funds, decided that DOE continues its water quality tests at IWK’s "outlet pipe".

Based on the test results that are expected on Friday, action would be taken on the corporation.

While the District and Land Office, DID and MPPP were urged to investigate the issue of illegal hawkers, the officers were also advised that any decision to shut down beach activities must be made if the water quality worsens.


For more stories, go to www.fz.com, the website for freedom of expression and fairness in articulation.



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