Sg Selisik water treatment plant remains shut, affected areas still experiencing unscheduled water cut (updated)

LUAS, Perak DOE and Air Selangor officers investigating the diesel spill on the day the incident happened on May 27.

KUALA LUMPUR: EIGHT areas in Hulu Selangor will continue to experience unscheduled water supply disruption due to diesel contamination at the Sungai Selisik Water Treatment Plant.

Pengurusan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Air Selangor) said the plant was shut down at 11.45pm Wednesday (May 27), following pollution in the raw water source.

The pollution was due to a diesel spill from an accident involving a tanker at KM 389.5 of the North-South Highway near Behrang, Perak, earlier that day.

The eight affected areas involving 742 customer accounts are Kampung Sungai Nilam/ Kampung Seri Pagi, Kampung Lalang Sungai Selisek, Rumah Murah Pkt 2, Kampung Serigala, Kampung Orang Asli Serigala, Kampung Bahom, Kampung Sekolah and clinic quarters as well as Kampung Gesir Tengah.

“Air Selangor is still unable to anticipate the restoration of water supply in the affected areas as Sungai Selisek is still unable to produce clean water, ” said Air Selangor corporate communications head Elina Baseri in a statement Friday (May 29).

“Efforts by the Perak Environment Department (DOE) to remove diesel at the site had to be stopped Thursday (May 28) due to heavy rain.

“Works will resume Friday to ensure no more diesel flows into the river.”

Elina said assistance through the mobilisation of water tankers was still ongoing to distribute emergency water supply to customers in affected areas.

“We advise customers to use water prudently during this time and to cooperate with our employees during the delivery of water supply through our water tankers, ” she said.

Meanwhile, Lembaga Urus Air Selangor (LUAS) said it had activated the yellow code based on the Water Source Pollution Emergency Manual for a thorough investigation of the affected areas which resulted in the shutdown of the Sungai Selisik Water Treatment Plant.

“We have installed oil booms to minimise and prevent oil waste from flowing into Sungai Bernam, ” LUAS said in a statement.

“The contractor appointed by the Perak DOE has been carrying out suction works to remove the remaining diesel waste since Wednesday.

“The water treatment plant is expected to resume operations only when no traces of oil are detected in the raw water source.”

It added that agencies such as LUAS, Perak DOE, National Water Services Commission and PLUS Expressways Bhd would continue to monitor and follow up on the oil suction works to ensure the raw water pollution is under control.

Updates on the restoration of water supply of the affected areas will be available on Air Selangor’s social media platforms, www.airselangor.com and Air Selangor mobile app.