IWK: Sungai Danga pollution not due to sewage plant

Treated effluent released from sewage treatment plant at Taman Bukit Indah complied with the industry standards.

JOHOR BARU: Indah Water Konsortium Sdn Bhd (IWK) says its wastewater treatment activities are not to blame for recent reports of pollution in Sungai Danga.

IWK said the sewage treatment plants managed by IWK around Sungai Danga and the entire area under Iskandar Puteri Municipal Council (MPIP) are in good condition and comply with the standards stipulated by the Depart­ment Of Environment (DOE).

IWK also cooperates with regulatory bodies such as DOE, Drainage and Irrigation Department, Natio­nal Water Services Commission, Johor Water Regulatory Body, MPIP and local authorities in relation to complaints that the water in Sungai Danga has turned black and emits a stench.

In a statement, IWK said its team in Johor had been dispatched to provide assistance to the agencies to ascertain the root cause of the river pollution.

The results of sampled treated effluent at the end of the treatment process indicate that they meet the standards set by DOE and are in good condition.

IWK said it ensures that all operations and maintenance work on all 6,700 plants managed by IWK adhere with the specifications and procedures determined by the authorities.

IWK was responding to a news report on July 5 quoting Johor Baru mayor Datuk Amran A. Rahman stating that preliminary reports by DOE indicated that the pollution at Sungai Danga was caused by the final discharge from IWK’s plant in Taman Bukit Indah and Taman Perling.

“However, after monitoring the location using a drone, we found that the change in colour from brown to black only occurred near the IWK plant in Jalan Simbang 19,” said Amran.