This article first appeared in The Edge Malaysia Weekly on January 23, 2023 - January 29, 2023

For many years, Selangor citizens have been dealing with recurring water cuts caused by pollution incidents, pipe bursts and maintenance works. It is not an easy task for the authorities to prevent such incidents, but this challenge could grow in the future as the impact of climate change worsens.

Pengurusan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd, the company responsible for water resources management for more than 8.4 million residents in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, is cognisant of these challenges and taking steps to address it.

According to its sustainability report, 88% of Malaysia’s population will be living in cities by 2050, and more than half will be within its operational territory. This translates into an increase in the demand for safe drinking water. At the same time, the utility will have to contend with disruptions to the water supply due to more frequent unexpected incidents, such as flash floods and droughts.

To address this, Air Selangor formed a climate change task force to study the risks to the water supply. Some of the efforts that have been made to maintain water security include increasing its water margin and conducting a water recycling initiative with Indah Water Konsortium Sdn Bhd (IWK).

The increase in water margin to 13% in 2021 was contributed by the inception of three water treatment plants at Semenyih 2, Labohan Dagang 2 and Langat 2.

"We are also developing Stage One of the Rasau Water Supply Scheme [which is] expected to be completed in 2025. That will be able to supply 700 million litres of clean and safe treated water per day and further increase our water reserve margin," says Abas Abdullah, Air Selangor’s director and head of operations.

As for the water recycling effort, the bioeffluents treated by IWK at its wastewater treatment plants are sent for further treatment before being redistributed to consumers by Air Selangor through a dedicated pipe network for non-potable use.

"Reclaimed water serves as an alternative source of water for non-potable applications, which helps reduce the use of potable water in applications or processes where non-potable water would suffice. This helps to improve the reserve margins for potable water," explains Abas.

To prevent pipe leaks and burst cases, Air Selangor has implemented the Physical Loss Reduction Programme and Commercial Loss Reduction Programme.

"Under the Physical Loss Reduction Programme, the Active Leak Detection Programme identified 101,323 leaks through the fieldwork undertaken by leak inspectors and leak specialists. There are also 1,800 pressure transient sensors installed on strategic trunk mains to assist in detecting damage and leaks as of Dec 31, 2022," says Abas.

He adds that Air Selangor achieved total savings of 149 million litres per day (MLD) in 2022 from the Physical Loss Reduction Programme and 59 MLD from the Commercial Loss Reduction Programme through meter replacement and meter relocation works.

Air Selangor has taken action to prevent water pollution cases, which have been a major cause of supply disruptions. According to the Department of Environment (DOE), Selangor had the most water pollution complaints between 2019 and July 29, 2022.

To combat this, Air Selangor is working closely with Lembaga Urus Air Selangor (Luas) to ensure 24-hour surveillance of critical areas near or at the rivers to mitigate the risk of water supply disruption from illegal dumping and pollution.

"We are also working with Luas on the implementation of Skim Jaminan Air Mentah (SeJAM) at the Sungai Selangor and Sungai Langat River basins, which provide raw water for Sungai Selangor Phases One, Two and Three, Rantau Panjang and Semenyih water treatment plants," says Abas.

The company is collaborating with Universiti Malaya on a research project aiming to address water supply issues, including river pollution.

He asserts that, apart from current efforts to maintain water security, Air Selangor will continue to roll out renewable and energy-efficient initiatives, particularly solar panel installation at all operation sites to achieve its carbon neutral target by 2040.

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