‘It comes and goes’: Felda Pasoh 4 residents want permanent fix to water woes

 Settlers say the problem has worsened in recent months and call for old pipes to be replaced as soon as possible.

Syarikat Air Negeri Sembilan Sdn Bhd workers send water tankers to the residents’ homes when there is a supply disruption.

JELEBU:

Residents of Felda Pasoh 4 here are urging the authorities to replace ageing water pipes following frequent supply disruptions that have affected their daily lives.

Khairul Senawi.

Saying the problem has worsened in recent months, they called for a comprehensive solution to permanently resolve the disruptions.

Khairul Senawi, 48, said he was not blaming any party, but hoped the old pipes would be replaced as soon as possible.

“The water supply is unpredictable – it comes and goes. We’ve been facing frequent disruptions for the past year, making life difficult for the residents,” he told FMT.

Khairul said some residents had been forced to buy bottled water for cooking and personal hygiene whenever the supply was cut off without notice.

Dry taps have forced residents of Felda Pasoh 4 to buy bottled water for cooking and personal hygiene.

According to him, the disruptions had also occurred during festive periods, and even during funerals in the village, causing considerable inconvenience.

He recalled one incident in which the disruption lasted for weeks, forcing the residents to work together to secure water supplies, including pumping water from a nearby palm oil mill for cleaning purposes.

A resident fills a pail with water supplied by Syarikat Air Negeri Sembilan Sdn Bhd.

Fazli Abdul Hamid.

Fazli Abdul Hamid, 36, said the latest disruption was caused by a burst pipe, but the prompt deployment of water tankers by Syarikat Air Negeri Sembilan Sdn Bhd (Sains) had helped ease the residents’ difficulties.

“Without water, even basic chores like doing the laundry become difficult. On school days, we have to ration our water use, and sometimes bathe only once a day to conserve what we have,” he said.

Senawi Ramli.

Senawi Ramli, 76, who has lived in Felda Pasoh since 1978, said the disruptions had become particularly severe since the beginning of this year.

He said pipe replacement should be carried out comprehensively rather than in stages to prevent the problem from recurring.

“We don’t mind paying slightly higher water bills if replacing the pipes means these disruptions are finally resolved,” he said.

Mastura Masran.

Food vendor Mastura Masran, 45, said the water disruptions had affected her business, forcing her to cancel customer orders because she was unable to prepare food.

Meanwhile, a Sains employee, who identified himself only as Mohamad, said the company would continue to assist the residents by deploying water tankers whenever disruptions occurred.

He said the firm was also carrying out service improvements to ensure consumers receive a more reliable water supply. - FMT