Sg Semenyih pollution: Water supply resumes to 13% of affected areas

WATER supply has resumed to 13% of the affected areas, following the temporary closure of the Sungai Semenyih water treatment plant.

Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor said this in a statement on Thursday (June 27).

Operations at the plant were earlier shut down after a foul smell was detected from the raw water supply. The plant resumed operation from 6am on Thursday.

It was reported that several areas in Petaling, Hulu Langat, Kuala Langat and Sepang were expected to experience water supply disruption and low water pressure from 9pm Wednesday (June 26).

Selangor Environment, Green Technology, Science and Consumer Affairs Committee chairman Hee Loy Sian said a factory allegedly connected to incident has been ordered to cease operations.

This is to curb the pollutants from the factory into entering Sungai Rinching. The palm oil processing factory is located about 450m from Sungai Rinching and the river leads to Sungai Semenyih.

Residents from Pekan Semenyih had questioned the authorities as to why no stern action such as revoking of business licence was taken against repeated polluters in the area.

Gagasan Prihatin Semenyih Secretary Hamdan Abu said the palm oil processing company involved in Wednesday's incident is a repeated offender and had caused air pollution in 2016.

“That palm oil company has been in operation for about 20 years, and this is not the first time the company has been caught polluting.

"In 2016, the authorities such as Selangor Water Management Authority (Luas), had measured their pollutant index and it was about six tonnes.

“That company isn’t the only one as there are many others such as poultry farms, workshops, manufacturing factories who released their waste into Sungai Semenyih,” said Hamdan.

For more details on the water status, visit www.syabas.com.my.

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