Sungai Johor’s water level drops

State Public Works, Rural and Reginal Development executive councillor Datuk Hasni Mohammad is giving his speech during the Oil and Gas sector for contractors in Johor seminar in Persada Johor, Johor Baru on Nov 11. Pix by LIM CHENG KIAT / The Star.

JOHOR BARU: The state will keep to its commitment of supplying 250 million gallons of water to Singapore daily despite a drop in the water level in Sungai Johor.

The situation has resulted in a month-long scheduled water distribution exercise in some areas in Johor Baru and Kota Tinggi.

Johor Public Works, Rural and Regional Development Committee chairman Datuk Hasni Mohammad (pic) said under the agreement, the state was supposed to supply that amount until 2061.

“We will be able to meet Singapore’s require­ments despite the drop,” he said in an interview.

Presently, six water treatment plants are extracting water from Sungai Johor.

Hasni said five plants belonged to Syarikat Air Johor while Singapore’s Public Utilities Board (PUB) owned the other.

“I hope the RM90mil barrage that we are constructing will help prevent sea water from coming into Sungai Johor which will affect the operations of the plants,” he added.

He hoped cloud seeding efforts would help increase water levels in major water extraction points, including Sungai Johor, Sungai Lebam Dam in Kota Tinggi and Layang Dam in Masai, Pasir Gudang.

Hasni was commenting on the concerns raised by Singapore Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan that Linggiu Reservoir in Johor was facing an all-time low in water levels.

The minister said that the reservoir’s water levels had not dropped to that level since it began operations 20 years ago.

The Linggiu Reservoir, operated by PUB, improves the yield of water from Sungai Johor where Singapore imports its water.

Imported water makes up about 60% of the island republic’s total consumption needs.

Meanwhile, Hasni said Universiti Teknologi Malaysia would be asked to carry out a study on the causes of low water levels in Sungai Lebam, Layang Dam and Sungai Linggiu.

“We want to find out the root cause, whether it is due to the weather, project developments or other reasons,” he said.