Sabah water dept advises UMS to enhance its water pumping system

 The department’s director, Chee Chun Chieh, says the R13 tank located on campus has more than enough water to supply the five million litres per day needed by the university.

The Sabah chapter of the National Consumer Foundation Malaysia previously expressed concern over the water supply disruptions at Universiti Malaysia Sabah in Kota Kinabalu. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA:

 The Sabah water department has urged Universiti Malaysia Sabah to enhance its water pumping system following prolonged water supply disruptions on campus.

The department’s director, Chee Chun Chieh, said the R13 tank located on campus is able to supply more than the five million litres per day needed by the university.

“If the current pumps are no longer able to meet demand, UMS should replace them with higher-capacity or more efficient units to fulfil its water needs,” he said in a statement.

Earlier today, FMT reported that a federal deputy minister had blamed the prolonged water disruptions at UMS on the existing tube well, which he says can only supply one million litres of water daily.

Mustapha Sakmud, who is deputy higher education minister, said the campus needs five million litres per day.

He said he had asked chief minister Hajiji Noor to order the Sabah water department to ensure that water supply to the campus remains uninterrupted.

Mustapha said the state government is expediting the construction of a pipe from the water treatment plant in Telibong to meet the demands of the increasing number of consumers.

He said the pipe should be a long-term solution to UMS’s water woes. However, he said, the construction of the pipe is progressing slowly due to the construction of the Pan Borneo Highway.

The Sabah chapter of the National Consumer Foundation Malaysia had previously expressed concern over the water supply disruptions at UMS, saying it reflected poorly on the state’s ability to provide basic utilities to vital institutions. - FMT