PETALING JAYA: The country’s raw water sources cannot be taken for granted as they are facing many threats, especially pollution.
Instead, river and water management must be considered as a national security issue, says National Water Services Commission (Span) chairman Charles Santiago.
This is because high levels of pollution can impact the people’s health if contaminants get past water treatment systems.
At present, 81% of drinking water comes from rivers, 16% from dams, while 3% are from groundwater, he added.
“Despite the laws and policies in place, there has not been much changes to address concerns over the impact of contamination,” said the former Klang MP, adding that there were 24 major river pollution incidents in the country in the last three years.
Pollutants found in raw water sources included diesel, poly (methacrylic) acid (PMAA), solvents, plastic recycling waste, food colouring, palm oil waste, fragrance and heavy machinery oils, he added.
He said Span was recommending the full implementation of the Zero Discharge Policy (ZDP), which is aimed at compelling industries to treat their effluents to the highest level possible or to reuse them as much as possible. The policy was put in place since last June by the Selangor Water Management Authority (Luas).
The other measure to safeguard raw water quality is stringent enforcement by both the Department of Environment (DOE) and the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID).
“DOE should ensure there is a third-party waste disposal management company for big setups. This is because there are many big companies diverting their effluents into rivers. You need to check how these companies are managing their effluents.
“When we combine zero discharge and enforcement, we can mitigate and reduce the volume of pollutants in our waterways,” Santiago said.
He said a water conservation surcharge should also be introduced in Malaysia to promote prudent water use and to emphasise the scarcity of water to every level of society.
Countries like China and Singapore have already implemented water conservation surcharge models based on the principle of “the more you consume, the more you pay”.
Additionally, he suggested the increased use of reclaimed water, which helps to reduce the demand for treated water.
By reclaiming water from processes within industrial systems, agriculture, construction and businesses can achieve significant savings while contributing to water security, Santiago said.
An alarming fact is that not all water treatment plants (WTPs) are able to treat or remove all the pollutants found in raw water, especially the newer pollutants.
He said most of the WTPs in the country were built in the 1970s and 1980s, and may not be able to remove more recent pollutants such as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
Previously, The Star published a study which showed that discarded antibiotics, steroids, hormones, painkillers, along with medication for high blood pressure, asthma, inflammation and other infections have found their way into our drinking water sources.
In March last year, a report in a local daily said 11 rivers – Sungai Klang, Sungai Langat, Sungai Kim Kim, Sungai Muar, Sungai Besut, Sungai Melaka, Sungai Kelantan, Sungai Perak, Sungai Terengganu, Sungai Pinang and Sungai Kuantan – were found to be highly polluted.
