PETALING JAYA – Piped water supply in the country could encounter more disruptions due to the ageing infrastructure of dams in the country, said National Water Services Commission (SPAN) chairman Charles Santiago.
According to the Dam Water Levels and Dam Water Supplies Risk Assessment Report, Santiago said seven dams in Malaysia have been identified as high risk.
“These are the Pedu, Muda, Durian Tunggal, Asahan, Mengkuang, Jus, and Linggui dams.
“Overall, a total 16 out of 55 dams in Peninsular Malaysia that are used for water consumption are more than 50 years old,” he told a press conference today.
Due to their age, he said there was a need to reevaluate their design and safety, and conduct an assessment of both active and dead storage.
He said water level readings at some dams might indicate 20 million litres per day (mld), but actually, only 15 mld is usable due to “dead storage at the bottom”.
“The dams aren’t at a dangerous level, but the water supply at these dams is at high risk,” he said, adding that the respective states were aware of it and addressing it.
Santiago also said that climate change is a pressing and substantial issue, with a notable impact on Malaysian water security.
“On certain days, we have heavy rain, while on some days, there is no rain at all. Our concern is ensuring safe and sufficient water supply for all Malaysians, and it is time we start looking into alternatives,” he said.
SPAN proposed that utilising off-river storage (ORS) for both water supply and flood control served as a forward-thinking strategy to address the increasing water supply challenges effectively.
“Building new dams is seen as less effective due to the need for extensive catchment areas. Therefore, the development of ORS is seen as an alternative to enhancing water source capacity,” he said.
Santiago said this method was the future of water management and several states have initiated preliminary studies and are planning to implement ORS.
Earlier this month, the Natural Resources, Environment, and Climate Change Ministry reported that eight major dams had suffered damage requiring approximately RM136 million for repair and maintenance.
The inspections, conducted by a flying squad dedicated to dam safety, took place between 2021 and 2022.
The dams are Muda and Ahning Dams in Kedah, Jor and Mahang Dams in Perak, the Sultan Abu Bakar Dam in Pahang, Babagon Dam in Sabah, Bakun Dam in Sarawak, and the Kenyir Dam in Terengganu. – The Vibes, October 23, 2023
