Some residents still using water for non-essential activities

PETALING JAYA: While Klang Valley residents under Zone 2 began experiencing water rationing in the third phase of the exercise yesterday, others in Zone 1 are not being prudent with their water usage.

Rukun Tetangga SS2B chairman Willie Tan Kim Tun said residents in his area were still seen using water for non-essential activities such as washing cars and watering plants.

“It is not even about reducing wastage any more. We need to cut down usage now,” said Tan, adding that he and other residents in SS2 here began stocking up water even before the area was scheduled to undergo rationing.

Tan said Zone 1 residents should not take advantage of the fact that their rationing was only starting tomorrow to continue using water as normal.

The Phase 3 of water rationing in the Klang Valley started yesterday.

Some 3.6 million residents from 290,865 households will experience the standard two days of dry taps followed by two days of supply.

Phase 2, involving two million people from 431,617 households and businesses, started on March 2 while the first phase, affecting 60,185 households, began from Feb 27.

The affected areas include districts in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.

Each phase of the exercise, announced by the National Water Services Commission (SPAN) and Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Syabas), was divided into two zones, starting with Zone 2.

Taman Kinrara 1 resident Catherine Lim said her household and a few others in the neighbourhood had carried out their “spring cleaning” and other major cleaning before rationing started.

“Everybody, even the dogs, had a good bath, and we washed all the big items like bedsheets,” said Lim.

Even then, her family had placed water containers in each bathroom, with smaller buckets for toilet use.

Shops selling equipment for outdoor activities have reported high sales of water filters and water purification chemicals.

“Customers have come in asking for water purification equipment. This rationing exercise made them think about the need to get water from alternative sources when there is a shortage,” said V. Veeraksana at a shop in SS15 here.

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