KOTA KINABALU: Water supply to Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) is now stable and able to meet the needs of the 20,000 within the campus, vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Kasim Mansor said.
He said the state Water Department was able to fulfill the campus residents’ need for 5mil litres per day (MLD) based on the daily readings by the university's Development and Maintenance Department.
"The water supply from the department since January 2024 showed a stable and consistent increase averaging 5MLD that is sufficient for the campus," he said in a statement.
UMS water issues have been festering for several years and earlier this year students held a protest outside the Chief Minister's office at Menara Kinabalu here.
Following the protest, Sabah Water Department carried out a series of operations to disconnect illegal water connections to squatter colonies close to the campus. It was among the reasons for the water shortages on the campus.
Prof Kasim said that the water supply problems to the campus were now resolved.
As part of efforts to reduce the water shortages at the campus, a tube well project was funded by the Higher Education Department as well as the Prime Minister's office
Prof Kasim said that the tube well project was completed and functioning properly.
“Tube well will be an alternative source of water supply if there is a disruption in water supply by JANS,” he said, thanking the state and federal government for their assistance in resolving the water issues at the campus.
Prof Kasim stressed that UMS no longer faces any water supply issues.
He said the water supply was sufficient for existing campus residents and the 2024-25 student intake in October.
