Span applying flood mitigation plans with water supply operators

The National Water Services Commission (Span) is applying flood mitigation plans with water supply operators, including preventing damage to water supply infrastructure.

Span regional operations division director Azrul Raimee Ramli said the measures were based on the preparedness of the water supply operators, including actions before, during, and after floods.

“One of the actions to be taken before floods is to raise the position of pump houses in residential areas identified at high risk of flooding based on data from the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID).

“We have asked the operators to activate their flood impact monitoring rooms so that when floods occur, the mitigation plan will be implemented.

“For example, if the water supply plant in district A cannot operate due to floods, the nearest plant in district B will support and distribute water supply to the affected areas in district A,” he said.

He said this as a guest on Bernama TV’s Malaysia Petang Ini programme titled ‘Banjir: Kesiapsiagaan Operator Perkhidmatan Air’ (Flood: Preparedness of Water Service Operators) today.

Azrul said that for the post-flood phase, operators will survey water supply assets, such as pump houses or water treatment plants, that were destroyed or damaged due to floods and implement repair works to ensure operations can resume.

He said Span will ensure water supply operators in the respective areas update their preparedness plans regularly based on the varying degrees of floods every year.

“We must record whatever happened the year before so that we have a plan (including) upgrading the area and maintaining the assets regularly to ensure they are in working order,” he said.

- Bernama