JOHOR BARU: More than 100,000 people in Kluang and Pontian are affected by the latest scheduled water supply shutdown, as raw water levels remain closely monitored.
Johor works, transportation, infrastructure and communications committee chairman Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh said that as of 4pm on Saturday (Feb 14), the Simpang Renggam Water Treatment Plant (LRA) was operating at 50 million litres per day (MLD), or 78.13% of its full capacity of 64 MLD.
He added that the water level at Sungai Benut stood at 4.76 metres and remained at a normal level, but current readings showed it was approaching the critical level of 4.70 metres.
Mohamad Fazli said that Sungai Benut is the primary source of raw water for the Simpang Renggam plant, and that when levels drop near the critical threshold, support strategies must be activated to ensure supply continuity.
“Machap Dam does channel water to the Simpang Renggam plant. However, with the current level at 13.94 metres, which is slightly below the minimum level, Ranhill SAJ has had to implement pumping operations to increase raw water capacity channelled to Sungai Ulu Benut through the environmental flow,” he said in a Facebook post here on Sunday (Feb 15).
The Bukit Pasir assemblyman added that the measure was crucial to ensure sufficient raw water for treatment and distribution to consumers.
Mohamad Fazli said that Machap Dam was originally built as a flood-mitigation structure and was not designed as a primary raw-water supply dam.
“As such, the current situation requires more careful operational control to ensure balanced and continuous water distribution,” he added.
Mohamad Fazli also said to mitigate the impact, 35 water tankers have been deployed to Kluang and 22 to Pontian, while 62 static tanks have been placed in Kluang and 63 in Pontian to assist residents with their basic water needs.
He added that every complaint received would be monitored and addressed promptly.
“The state government, together with related agencies, remains committed to implementing continuous mitigation measures to stabilise dam levels and restore the plant’s operational capacity to optimum levels.
“I fully understand the difficulties faced by the people. Our priority is to ensure that supply returns to stability as soon as possible through careful and prudent management,” he said, urging consumers to use water prudently during the period.
Meanwhile, water utility company Ranhill SAJ Sdn Bhd announced a new schedule for the Scheduled Water Supply (BAB) in Kluang and Pontian from Feb 16 to Feb 28.
In a statement, the company said the revised schedule follows a downward trend in the catchment level at Machap Dam, which is currently under close monitoring.
Under the new arrangement, water supply will be distributed for 24 hours, followed by 48 hours without supply, according to the set schedule and zones.
Ranhill SAJ said the schedule was necessary to ensure controlled management of raw water resources and to stabilise operations at the water treatment plant amid limited capacity.
“The Simpang Renggam Water Treatment Plant continues to operate and supply treated water to consumers, although production rates have been adjusted to ensure overall and sustainable supply continuity,” the statement reads.
The company also said the scheduled water supply is a temporary management measure to ensure fairer, more adequate distribution across all affected areas during the dry spell.
A total of 31,081 consumer accounts in Kluang and Pontian are affected by the latest scheduled water supply.
Consumers are advised to use water prudently, avoid waste, and maintain a sufficient supply for essential use.
“As a support measure, alternative water supply through tankers, static tanks and bottled mineral water remains active and will be deployed to strategic locations based on need,” it added.
Ranhill SAJ added that all parties involved in scheduling are continuously monitoring the situation and will provide updates as needed.
The scheduled water supply exercise began on Feb 7, with a 36-hour supply period followed by 36 hours without water, per the latest revision.
For more information, consumers can visit Ranhill SAJ’s Facebook page.
For faster response to complaints, consumers can contact the official hotline at 1-800-88-7474, send an SMS in the format ATRanhillSAJAduan to 63001, or lodge complaints via the MySAJ 2.0 application.
