SANDAKAN – There is no problem at the Segaliud Water Treatment Plant and the water supply in Sandakan is still salty only because of a lack of rainwater, said Sabah Works Minister Datuk Shahelmey Yahya.
He said that since the damaged riverine lock and river barrage were repaired in early March, they have been functioning perfectly and the quality of water from Segaliud has shown obvious improvement.
“But we still have yet to reach our target, which is a chloride level under 250 parts per million,” he said after visiting the plant here yesterday.
It is learned that the only way to cause the salt level at the Segaliud Dam to subside is to pump a large amount of fresh water into the dam, which is difficult and will take a long time due to the minimal rainfall amid the hot weather.
Shahelmey said the handler of the treatment plant has added two units of water pumps, thereby now making three pumps draw water from Sg Segaliud to the dam to increase the water level and dilute the salt faster.
It worked.
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On May 5, the water level at the Segaliud water dam increased by half a metre in depth. According to Shahelmey, if this continues, the salty water problem in Sandakan would be solved soon.
“God willing, if what they are doing now continues, we hope that we will be able to overcome the issue of salty water befalling Sandakan,” he said.
It is learned that when the problem occurred, the Sabah government had handed the job of maintaining the Segaliud Water Treatment Plant to Timatch Water Sdn Bhd, a management consultancy firm appointed by the Sabah government for the Sabah Water Department.
Shahelmey said that the ministry has accepted proposals regarding a long-term plan to ensure that the problem would not happen again.
He said he is not willing to blame only one party for the issue, such as the fishermen who had allegedly damaged the river gate to get through the river, as there were many factors contributing to the problem.
“What is important is that we have identified (the source of) the problem, and we find the solution to overcome the problem,” he said.
Fishermen and villagers in the area are now using the repaired river lock to cross from one side of the river to another.
Meanwhile, Shahelmey brushed off claims that the dam is drying up and the water supply in Sandakan is about to run out.
He said the water produced at the treatment plant now has a surplus, and it will be sufficient for the use of the Sandakan people from mid-May until early June.
“We hope that this will continue so that we will have a buffer for when El Niño comes in July,” he said.
He said water rationing has not started in Sandakan, but it could possibly be implemented in the district during El Niño to ensure that all areas in Sandakan would receive water. – The Vibes, May 16, 2023
