THE NATIONAL Water Services Commission (SPAN) has called on all state governments to form a unit to oversee water resources conservation as they struggle to reduce demands for treated water.
Commission chairman Charles Santiago said the task of promoting conservation and preservation of water catchment areas could now be shouldered by a special unit respectively since water is under the purview of each state.
“The focus is now on saving our resources, the campaign should be on conserving and reducing dependence instead of simply finding more resources.”
Currently, all water conservation campaigns are coordinated by the respective state water concessionaires but Santiago said such bodies are preoccupied with meeting the demands for treated water and finding new sources.
Hence, the conservation campaigns are in a bit of a disarray, he noted.
For example, Santiago said that in Penang, the state can set up a conservation unit under Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow’s office.
It can then liaise with the Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) and its role can be coordinated among the two state executive councillors in charge of public utilities and the environment.
“For Penang, it can be Zairil Khir Johari and Datuk S. Sundarajoo,” said Santiago.
He said that there needs to be a wider realisation that water is becoming an endangered commodity due to climate change, deforestation and pollution.
“We need to do something profound now or it may be too late,” he said in an interview.
Citing Penang in another example, Santiago wants the PBAPP to focus on utilising new technologies now instead of trying to promote conservation.
The latter role can be undertaken by a new government unit, he stressed.
PBAPP should be trying new approaches instead of waiting for the Penang-Perak water transfer project, which will only be realised one decade later.
In the meantime, the authorities need to find ways to save water, said Santiago.
It was reported that the water at the neighbouring Sg Muda river between Kedah and Penang, would be insufficient by 2030.
Santiago said that Penang must conserve water to prevent a crisis.
Water security is now a paramount concern the world over, especially as climate change has brought an extended bout of droughts and a sneering heatwave.
He also wants rainwater harvesting, water recycling and sewage water reclamation to be priorities in the country in preparing for the worst of climate change. – May 27, 2024.
