TAMAN Selayang Baru residents in Selangor, who have endured low water pressure for 50 years, can finally expect some relief as the authority rolls out a major pipe replacement programme in the neighbourhood.
The project will be carried out in stages, beginning with 700m of pipes along Jalan Selayang Baru, according to a statement from Pengurusan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Air Selangor).
This first phase is scheduled for completion in December.
“Subsequently, another package covering Jalan 14 and Jalan 16 will be awarded to the contractor by the end of this year, with works expected to finish by the end of 2026.”
Air Selangor added that the final stage involving 6.8km of pipes throughout the neighbourhood was in the design phase and implementation was targeted for October 2026, with completion slated for end 2027.
It explained that the persistent low pressure in the area was due to ageing asbestos cement pipes.
“These old pipes limit our ability to increase pressure without risking bursts, which would cause more severe water supply disruptions.
“To safeguard supply continuity, water pressure is currently regulated using pressure reducing valves.
“The average pressure in the area is about 9mH,” it said.
Regular water pressure in the country is above 30mH.
A large proportion of the 31,000km of pipes managed by Air Selangor in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya had been in service for 50 to 60 years, posing ongoing challenges to maintaining consistent pressure and reliability.
StarMetro reported on Sept 18 that Taman Selayang Baru residents had been grappling with low water pressure for 50 years.
