COMPLIANCE in Johor remains low as only 8.6% of individual septic tank owners have consented to scheduled septic tank desludging.
National Water Services Commission (SPAN) chief executive officer Datuk Ahmad Faizal Abdul Rahman said the rate remained low despite notices being issued since 2021.
“Together with Indah Water Konsortium (IWK), we have sent scheduled septic tank cleaning notices to owners in the state for the past five years.”
He said this during a press conference on the three-day Ops Tebrau, which targeted premises owners in Johor Baru who had failed to comply with scheduled septic tank desludging notices.
Also present was IWK chief executive officer M. Narendran.
Ahmad Faizal said the operation involved inspections of 441 premises, comprising 361 commercial and 80 domestic premises, where owners had failed to comply with the septic tank desludging notices previously issued by IWK.
He said regular emptying of septic tank prevented sludge build-up and would keep private sewerage systems working well.
“Septic tanks that are not properly maintained can cause sewage to spill into drains, which will harm public health and the environment,” he emphasised.
Under Section 65(1)(c) of the Water Services Industry Act 2006 (Act 655), the septic tank owner is responsible for maintaining an individual sewerage system by appointing a valid licensee or permit holder to carry out desludging work within the prescribed period.
Ahmad Faizal said maintenance must be carried out once every two years for septic tanks located within local authority boundaries and once every three years for septic tanks located outside local authority boundaries.
“Any party who fails to comply with the provision commits an offence, and if convicted may be liable to a fine not exceeding RM50,000.”
He said there were more than 1.38 million individual septic tanks in the peninsula and Labuan Federal Territory as of 2025, with 306,000 individual septic tanks in Johor.
