Empty septic tanks regularly, IWK tells consumers

 

IWK says households must ensure that their sewerage systems are cleaned periodically.

PETALING JAYA: The practice of desludging water tanks has an impact on the environment and must be taken seriously, says Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) Sdn Bhd.

The sanitation company said many people do not realise what would happen if sewerage systems are not properly maintained.

Sewerage systems include those in households, those connecting household sewerage to IWK plants, and communal septic tanks that serve more than a single premise.

IWK’s head of the desludging business unit, Pauzi Mohamed, said all users must maintain their sewerage systems by cleaning them periodically.

“Users with individual septic tanks and communal septic tanks systems should know that these tanks are only temporary sewage storage facilities,” he said.

“When the septic tank is not emptied, whatever that enters every day will increase and eventually fill the space inside the tank.

“The particles from the wastewater will then settle at the bottom of the tank, forming sludge. If desludging is not carried out regularly, the accumulated sludge hardens.”

When this happens, Pauzi said, incoming wastewater will pass through the tank without treatment and eventually make its way to water resources and pollute the rivers and waterways.

Pauzi Mohamed says it is important for users to empty the septic tank at least once every two years to ensure it works more efficiently. (IWK pic)

“This also prevents the spread of water-borne diseases that are dangerous and can affect health.”

Pauzi said the government gazetted the Water Services Industry (Desludging Services) Regulations 2021 last year to make it mandatory for all owners or users of septic tanks to maintain and empty septic tanks periodically.

The regulation came into effect in March 2021 and stipulates that owners or occupants must be responsible for ensuring septic tanks are properly managed and maintained.

“IWK has been sending out notices on scheduled desludging to 1.3 million septic tank owners in Peninsular Malaysia in stages since July 2021.

“However, many users who receive these notices do not take any further action or ignore them.

“Any owner, management corporation or occupant of the premises who fails to comply with the direction of the second written notice from IWK will be deemed to have committed an offence under subsection 65 (3) of the Water Services Industry Act 2006 (Act 655) and may, on conviction, be imposed a fine not exceeding RM50,000.”

Pauzi also said the National Water Services Commission (SPAN), together with IWK, has agreed to carry out desludging work on Perhentian Island to address pollution issues likely caused by sewage waste on the resort island.

“IWK will also build a suitable disposal site while waiting for the construction of a centralised sewage treatment plant or a sludge treatment facility to be available.

“It is not easy to carry out desludging works on the island because the barges, boats and special desludging vehicles need to be designed to adapt to the demographics of the island. This will involve high costs.

“However, IWK remains committed to performing this service to help ensure that pollution does not continue,” he said. - FMT