SHAH ALAM – The pollution incident in Sg Batang Benar due to a fire at a paint factory in Nilai 3, Negri Sembilan, yesterday afternoon has not affected water supply to consumers in Selangor.
Selangor Tourism, Environment, Green Technology and Orang Asli Affairs Committee chairman Hee Loy Sian, in a statement today, said the Selangor Water Management Authority (Luas) activated the “yellow code” based on the water resources pollution emergency manual to allow for a thorough investigation in the affected area.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that a white stream of water had entered Lake Ujana Nilai Impian in Negri Sembilan before entering Sg Batang Benar. The incident was detected following firefighting work at the paint factory.”
He said the distance from the scene of the blaze to the Jenderam Hilir inlet in Sg Semenyih in Selangor is 13.7km, and that it would take some nine hours for the pollution to reach the water intake at the river’s treatment plant.
“Odour sampling was carried out at three different locations in Sg Pajam, Sg Beranang and Sg Semenyih, and the threshold odour number (TON) reading was at zero.”
The Negri Sembilan water regulator has been informed of the incident, he said, and an investigation is under way in the affected area in the state.
Luas is continuing to monitor Sg Pajam, said Hee, and static monitoring and odour sampling conducted until 8am today found the TON reading still at zero and the river flow to be normal.
He said the agency has placed 10 bags of activated carbon in Sg Batang Benar to prevent odour pollution, adding that the immediate response to the incident prevented a stop-work order from being issued at the Sg Semenyih treatment plant. – Bernama, April 13, 2021
