New pipeline marks resumption of water supply in Klang

Workers conducting repairs at the site of the burst pipes along the West Coast Expressway. - Filepic

THE successful installation of a new pipeline along the Banting-Taiping West Coast Expressway (WCE) marks an end to over a week of dry taps for some Klang folk.

Pengurusan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd Customer Relations and Communications Department head Abdul Raof Ahmad said the new pipeline is a permanent solution for customers whose supply comes from the Lipat Kajang Reservoir.

“The installation has also increased the capacity of treated water to affected areas,” he said in a statement.

The new installation was completed at 3pm on Monday with Air Selangor employees and its appointed contractors working round-the-clock to restore water supply after three pipes burst along the WCE on May 4.

Raof also apologised to affected customers for the water cut and not being able to deliver on promises to resume supply on the dates initially announced.

He explained that damage from the three main pipes measuring 1,400mm, 900mm and 600mm at the Klang stretch of the expressway caused 65 areas to suffer water cuts on May 4.

Soil movement caused part of the road to sink and some parts of the retaining wall to crack, which dislocated the pipes and caused extensive leaks.

During repair works, leaks springing from other locations on the main pipeline and landslips caused further delays.

As many as 175,036 account holders were affected by the sudden water cut.

National Water Ser­vices Commis­sion (SPAN) chairman Charles Santiago urged the Works Ministry to look into the structural integrity of the construction.