Water woes continue to cripple many Sabahans’ lives

KOTA KINABALU: Three boys from the same household sometimes have to take turns going to school - because their uniforms are washed on different days.On a bad day, only one of them can go to school, as two sets of uniforms lie unwashed.

The poor state of water supply at their walk-up apartment in Tuaran has been a thorn in the side of the boys’ education for over a month.

Many other spots in the greater Kota Kinabalu area are also continue to grapple with water supply woes.

Mariah Doksil, 40, the mother of the three boys, said she has to prioritise her water use, from what to wash, when to cook and even who gets to bathe each day.

“Normally, I would make sure my eldest, who is in primary three, bathes and gets his clothes washed so he can go to school, while the two younger ones have to stay back,” she said.

Beyond the erratic water supply, the family also has to deal with rampant power outages.

“I am trying to stay calm and cool with all that’s going on. It is the fasting month and it will be Hari Raya soon,” said Mariah.

For her family, they will spend Hari Raya with her in-laws in Kota Belud, something they are looking forward to because the water supply there is more predictable.

For residents in the Pasir Putih Apartment in Putatan, not far from the state capital, water supply has also been erratic.

“We have been experiencing water shortages since last year. Even now, as I am speaking to you, the tap just ran dry,” said Manisah Aisyah, 42.

Besides sending and fetching her children from school, her main job every day is to store water while the tap water runs.

She imagines herself as the tap’s keeper, eagerly bringing empty pails and basins to fill whenever it runs.

“I am not sure how we are going to celebrate Hari Raya, but we will try to make it work, one way or another,” she said.

Manisah said she would prepare cartons of bottled water.

Those hoping for a quick solution to all these problems are likely to be disappointed, as state water officials are struggling to start up the Telibong II Phase II Water Treatment Works, a task that was supposed to begin this month.

Authorities are also blaming water thefts for the dry taps and low water pressure.

On March 17, Sabah Works Minister Datuk Shahelmey Yahya said Sabah was experiencing an acute shortage of water supply, especially in the northern Kota Kinabalu area – which includes Tuaran – which could only produce 65 million litres per day (MLD), or 41.6% of the requirement.

He said there are no fast-track measures to fix these issues as the construction of new water sources and treatment plants would take at least three years, or at least 12 months in the case of small plants, only if funds are available.

He said current mitigation measures include water rationing and the distribution by tankers.

Shahelmey said the Sabah Water Department is also looking into the possibility of using interim measures to have small water treatment plants in areas like Putatan and to get the help of independent water providers.

However, the construction of these small water treatment plants is not an ideal solution, as they involve costly operations and maintenance in the long run.

Officials also said there was no issue with storage dams running low at this moment.