'Yes, we should reduce non-revenue water, but ...'

Water concessionaire Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas) has conceded the Selangor government's argument that reducing non-revenue water (NRW) would help solve any shortage of water supply.

However, chief operating officer Lee Miang Koi claimed that the company’s efforts are being stopped by the state government itself.

"If we can reduce NRW, it is true, the problem can be solved, but our ability to reduce NRW has been blocked,” he told a public briefing in Balakong today.

“The programmes which we have proposed to replace pipes and repair leaks were blocked, as (these need) the approval of the National Water Services Commission (Span) and the Selangor government," said

Lee said Syabas had replaced 800km of water pipes from 2005 to mid-2008, after it took over from state corporation Perbadanan Urus Air Selangor Berhad (Puas).

"Then came the plan to restructure the water supply sector, so Syabas (was prevented from continuing). They said ‘Because of the ongoing restructuring, do not change any more (pipes)’, and that is where we are stuck.

"From 2008 on, we could not do anything. We were only given a few approvals to do very critical work.”

Asked who had given the instructions, Lee replied: “We take instructions from Span, and Span said they got instructions from the state government.”

[More to follow]