Sabah's non-revenue water rate at 60%, says Shahelmey

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s non-revenue water (NRW) rate is currently at 60% which is a loss of water resources in the state, says Deputy Chief Minister III Datuk Shahelmey Yahya (pic).

As such, the Sabah Works Minister said the Sabah State Water Department (JANS) is working on reducing the amount through several measures including improving the effectiveness of the supply system.

He said overcoming NRW is one of the important steps being taken to ensure that the water supply system in the state is able to meet consumers’ demand n addressing the water supply problem that is plaguing the state.

"Our challenge is there is high demand but on top of that there are cases of NRW some of which are due to water theft that requires enforcement.

"We are also faced with manpower shortage and the effectiveness of the (water supply) system is also a challenge, so we need a mechanism and integrated effort to deal with the problem

"The water supply is being restored, JANS is making improvements to reduce NRW to a lower percentage. If we able to do it by the end of this year, consumers will be able to enjoy better water supply," he told reporters after an iftar event and presentation of donations to the poor and orphans here last night.

Last January, Shahelmy reportedly said JANS aims to reduce NRW, which was then at 54 per cent by 25 percent or 10 million liters of water by the middle of this year. - Bernama