KOTA TINGGI: A prolonged drought in Sungai Ulu Sedili Kecil here has forced the suspension of operations at the Lok Heng water treatment plant, affecting thousands of users in the Felda Lok Heng and Felda Waha areas.
Johor works, transportation, infrastructure and communications committee chairman Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh said he visited the dried-up river to assess the situation.
"Sungai Ulu Sedili Kecil is the main raw water source for the Lok Heng plant. After treatment, the water is distributed to the Gugusan Felda Lok Heng, Gugusan Felda Waha, Felda Bukit Waha, and Felda Bukit Easter areas, serving a total of 4,042 accounts," he said in a Facebook post on Saturday (April 4).
He added that the plant originally had a capacity of 5.4 million litres per day (MLD) but numerous complaints, particularly during festive periods, the capacity was upgraded to 9.0MLD under a project in 2023.
"Despite the upgrade, the Lok Heng and Waha areas have historically faced water supply challenges. To address this, Johor Water Regulatory Body and Ranhill SAJ constructed horizontal collector wells to tap underground water.
"This system can draw about 4MLD of additional water but it is currently ineffective due to the extreme drought," he said.
The Bukit Pasir assemblyman added that authorities also attempted a "water transfer" of 4MLD from Sungai Lukah to Sungai Ulu Sedili Kecil.
"While the method helped boost water levels in February, Sungai Lukah is now also dry, and seawater intrusion has made the remaining water brackish," he said.
Mohamad Fazli also said the state government is seeking assistance from the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) and the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) to carry out cloud seeding operations in the Waha, Lok Heng, and Gembut areas.
He added the operations are planned to proceed soon, depending on wind conditions.
Mohamad Fazli said as an immediate measure, the state government and Ranhill SAJ have prepared 10,000 bottles of mineral water for distribution to affected residents, with additional supplies being procured regularly.
He added distribution points include the Ranhill SAJ operations office and other designated locations.
He said 25 static water tanks have been placed at strategic locations for public use, supported by 14 water tankers to keep them filled.
"Furthermore, four inline injection points – two in Lok Heng and two in Waha – have been set up. This method pumps water directly from tankers into the distribution system via hydrants," he added.
Mohamad Fazli said he requested that Ranhill SAJ add more injection points, particularly in areas at the far end of the distribution network.
He urged affected residents to exercise patience and use water wisely during the drought.
"Let us also hope for rain soon so that water levels can return to normal," he added.
