PETALING JAYA: A factory in the Semenyih Hi-Tech Park caused the river pollution that resulted in water supply disruption to over a million homes in the Hulu Langat, Petaling Jaya, Kuala Langat and Sepang districts last Saturday.
Kumpulan Air Selangor corporate communications department head Amin Lin Abdullah said initial investigations confirmed that pollution from the industrial park had affected Lalang River, which provides raw water to the Semenyih treatment plant.
“We have zoomed in on the industrial park as the source of the river’s pollution.
“We are now focusing on identifying the factory responsible for the discharge,” he said yesterday.
He said identifying the factory was a tedious process as the Semenyih Hi-Tech Park has several hundred factories operating.
“We are going on the ground to take water samples.
“Investigations will not stop until we find the source of the pollution,” he added.
Amin Lin added that water samples were being analysed by Air Selangor and an independent company to determine the pollutant involved.
Preliminary test results of raw water samples found no hazardous substances such as sulphide, formaldehyde, selenium, anionic detergent, cyanide and mineral oil.
Sungai Semenyih is the main waterway from the Semenyih dam to the treatment plant about 55km away, and this facility produces more than 630 million litres of clean water daily for consumers.
On Wednesday, Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Dr Maximus Ongkili said the culprit that caused the pollution would be punished.
Dr Ongklili said such incidents affected the lives of people and could not be tolerated.
The Selangor government has said that it would revoke the licence of the factory responsible.
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