THE NATIONAL Water Services Commission (SPAN) plans to meet with the Environment and Water Ministry soon to expedite emergency relief plans for some 30,000 residents in Langkawi who have had no proper water supply for the past year.
If left unchecked, the situation will drastically affect tourism – the main economic activity of the island – said SPAN chairman Charles Santiago.
Speaking after a weekend inspection visit to the island, Santiago said that the local water concessionaire (Sada) is struggling to provide consistent water services, either from its tankers or underwater pipelines, which are believed to be leaking.
There is a 7km stretch of the 35km long undersea water supply pipeline that is now under siege due to leakages, said Santiago.
The pipeline originates from Kuala Perlis to Langkawi.
He was informed by the residents that dredging nets from inshore fishermen had caused damage to the pipeline.
As the island has no infrastructure to supply its own population with water, Santiago will recommend to Pengurusan Aset Air Bhd (PAAB) to consider constructing a coastal reservoir to help in meeting the demand for treated water in Langkawi.
“We have to fast-track the matter as the supply of water is acutely affected and if we are not careful, it will begin to disrupt travel plans of tourists.”
PAAB had previously indicated that it will spend up to RM1 billion to help Sada in Kedah to upgrade its water services for the state.
Santiago said that the water supplied from tankers was alleged to be unfiltered and unsuitable for hygiene and drinking purposes.
“We need to improve our quality of services to our consumers. Water is an essential commodity for us,” said Santiago.
Other recommendations are for all hotels to install their own rainwater harvesting system to tap raw water for services such as the cleaning component of their operations.
This will free up Sada to supply water for drinking and hygiene needs of households and tourists, including those who are staying long-term, said Santiago.
He also urged for a water conservation campaign by the local authorities in view that droughts are becoming common now due to climate change.
The Langkawi Businesses Association headed by Anthony Wong Kim Fei and Datuk Issac Alexander submitted a memorandum to Santiago after a dialogue session at the Frangipani Resort in Pantai Tengah.
Alexander spoke of a critical need to address the water issues in Langkawi in view of the island’s strategic positioning as a preferred tourist destination.
Wong, meanwhile, proposed for alternative water supply from rainwater harvesting to recycling of waste water as well as a conservation campaign.
He hopes that SPAN, Sada and PAAB can work with nongovernmental organisations to resolve the longstanding water supply issue. – May 8, 2024.
