SHAH ALAM, July 18 — The Selangor Water Management Authority (LUAS) has launched an investigation, while the Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj) has issued a compound to a premise after coloured and foamy effluent was detected in Sungai Semenyih.
LUAS said an investigation paper was opened under Section 79(4) of the LUAS Enactment 1999 for the offence of polluting water resources, following an integrated inspection at Sri Haneco Industrial Park in Semenyih and the Mahkota Beranang industrial area yesterday.
A joint investigation by LUAS, MPKj, Pengurusan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Air Selangor), the National Water Services Commission (SPAN) and Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) found that the coloured discharge was believed to have originated from a premises carrying out research, development and manufacturing of environmentally friendly chemicals.
“Further investigations by LUAS at the premise, found that three tanks used in the effluent treatment process contained a red-coloured liquid.
“Based on the inspection, the material is believed to have spilled onto the cement floor during the process of transferring the effluent into the ABC tank.
“The spill is suspected to have flowed through a crack or leak in the floor before entering the premises' drainage system and subsequently flowing into a nearby drain,” he said in a Facebook post.
Accordingly, LUAS issued an order under Section 121(2) of the LUAS Enactment 1999, instructing the premises to immediately stop the discharge and take measures to prevent further pollution.
“The premises were also ordered to carry out repair and cleaning works at the premises and the affected areas.
“LUAS collected samples from the river and the premises before sending them to the Malaysia Chemistry Department for analysis as part of further enforcement action.
“SPAN and IWK are conducting further inspections of the premises’ sewerage and drainage systems to determine the effluent discharge route, including whether it is channelled into the IWK sewerage system or discharged directly into a public drain,” he said.
LUAS said the situation at the site and along the affected river remains under control, with no risk to the operations of nearby water treatment plants (LRAs).
It added that monitoring of the affected river is ongoing, alongside inspections of discharges from premises in the industrial area and compliance with the Zero Discharge Policy (ZDP).
The authority also reminded premises owners to ensure that safety and environmental management standards at their facilities are maintained at a high level.
“Any act of negligence, whether intentional or otherwise, can jeopardise the state's water resources and disrupt water supply to the public,” he said.
