By Zareef Muzammil
SHAH ALAM, Aug 1 — Selangor will pump raw water from identified ponds as alternative water sources in the event the capacity of the state’s seven dams, as well as the Sungai Labu Off-River Storage, fall to below 60 per cent.
Selangor Water Management Authority (Luas) director Hasrolnizam Shaari said identified groundwater sources will also be utilised during prolonged dry seasons lasting more than six months to ensure an increase in raw water supply.
“A study by the Minerals and Geoscience Department found that groundwater in Selangor has a capacity of over 2,000 million litres per day (MLD). We can produce this and channel it to rivers near our water treatment plants.
"This will extend the existing water reserves (from dams and downstream ponds) from nine months to 15 months. We have documented this and developed the necessary working procedures," he said in an interview with Media Selangor yesterday.
Currently, the water levels in Selangor’s seven dams are above 90 per cent, according to the Integrated Water Resources Information Management System.
Hasrolnizam’s comment comes amid the ongoing dry spell in Malaysia that has even affected the peninsular’s wettest town Taiping, with several sections of its lake garden drying up due to a lack of rainfall.
Water levels in several dams in Kedah and Perak were also reported to have experienced reductions.
The Meteorological Department has warned Malaysians to expect hotter and drier days until September because of the ongoing Southwest Monsoon.
On whether Luas would conduct cloud seeding operations to increase the water capacity in the dams, Hasrolnizam said the state does not prefer this method due to the complex procedures involved and the lack of guarantee that rain will fall in the needed areas.
He said the state would only resort to cloud seeing if the water capacity fall below 30 per cent.
"If Selangor does not receive rain and the dry season continues for more than six months, then we need to consider and prepare for further alternatives, including cloud seeding.
"Selangor has experience using cloud seeding methods to produce raw water in 2014 and 2016. After that, we took proactive steps by adding value and making improvements," he added.
Zero Discharge Policy
On a separate matter, Hasrolnizam said the state’s Zero Discharge Policy (ZDP), which came into effect on June 26, can address the issues of sedimentation and decline in quality of water sources.
He said this is because the new regulation emphasises controlling the discharge of return water into rivers according to standard operating procedures (SOP).
"For instance, when water flow is low, it may cause the supplied water quality to be less than ideal. This does not mean that the river water has a lot of sediment or pollution, but because the dilution factor decreases due to the reduced water volume.
“Through the Zero Discharge Policy, sediment or substances that reduce water quality can be controlled. If this effort is successful and given attention, we won’t face problems during hot and dry seasons or when water flow is low,” he said.
Separately, Hasrolnizam said the Luas Rapid Squad is operating 24 hours a day in the field to monitor river water quality, with prompt actions taken if the quality drops below acceptable level.
Previously, state executive councillor for environment Jamaliah Jamaluddin had said that through the Zero Discharge Policy, all wastewater or effluent generated from human daily activities will be controlled and undergo treatment before being discharged into water sources.
