GUA MUSANG: Kelantan’s efforts to improve water supply has received a boost with the completion of the RM70.76mil Bukit Chupak water treatment plant (WTP), as the state continues tackling one of the country’s highest non-revenue water (NRW) rates.
Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Mohd Nassuruddin Daud said the facility, with a capacity of 10 million litres per day (MLD), would ensure a more stable and continuous supply of treated water and benefit more than 20,000 residents in Gua Musang and surrounding areas.
“The project carries great hope for the people to enjoy a more comfortable life through access to stable, quality and continuous clean water supply,” he said when launching the opening of the Bukit Chupak WTP here yesterday.
The project, fully financed by Pengurusan Aset Air Bhd (PAAB), began construction in February 2024 and was completed on schedule on April 28 this year following testing and commissioning works.
Mohd Nassuruddin said the Bukit Chupak WTP forms part of broader efforts to improve water services statewide through the construction of new treatment plants, upgrades to existing facilities, pipe replacement programmes, tube wells and storage tanks.
He said 64 water-related projects are currently being implemented across Kelantan, comprising 10 in the planning stage, 14 under design, 17 under construction and 23 completed.
The projects are funded by the state government, PAAB, the Energy Transition and Water Transformation Ministry (Petra), the Rural and Regional Development Ministry (KKDW), the East Coast Economic Region Development Council (ECERDC) and the National Water Services Commission (SPAN).
Mohd Nassuruddin said major works completed under the national NRW programme include Package 1 costing RM24.3mil in 2024, Package 2 costing RM44.8mil in 2025 and the replacement of 103km of ageing pipes in Kota Baru, Tanah Merah, Machang and Kuala Krai at a cost of RM62.4mil.
He expressed confidence that the projects would enable Kelantan to resolve its water supply issues by 2030.
PAAB chairman Datuk Seri Ir Jaseni Maidinsa said Kelantan remains one of four states requiring urgent attention under national efforts to reduce NRW, alongside Perlis, Kedah and Pahang.
According to SPAN data, he said Perlis recorded the highest NRW rate at 61.5%, followed by Kelantan at 53.7%, Kedah at 51.1% and Pahang at 48.9%.
“These four states are our focus because their NRW levels exceed 40%. In Kelantan, for every 100 litres of treated water produced, less than half reaches consumers. About 53.7% is lost before it gets to users,” he said.
Jaseni said reducing losses in the four states would significantly improve the country’s overall NRW rate, which currently stands at about 34%.
He said the Bukit Chupak WTP has increased Gua Musang’s treated water reserve margin to at least 5% from virtually zero previously, helping to stabilise water pressure and meet higher demand during festive seasons and dry periods.
“More importantly, the project resolves water supply problems that have persisted for almost two decades in several critical areas of Gua Musang,” he said.
Jaseni said the facility is the first in Kelantan to utilise flexible low weir gate technology, which can raise river water levels by up to 0.75m to ensure sufficient raw water intake during drought conditions.
He said the technologies improve treatment efficiency, reduce long-term operating costs and ensure more consistent water quality.
As of May 2026, PAAB had allocated RM1.63bil for water infrastructure development in the state, comprising RM264.28mil for completed projects, RM376.34mil for projects under construction and RM991.41mil for projects in the planning and design stages.
