KOTA KINABALU: The task force assigned to address the critical water supply issues in the city has stated that the problem is expected to be resolved within two weeks, as long as no further obstacles arise, according to Chan Foong Hin.
The Member of Parliament for Kota Kinabalu mentioned that a Water Department task force was established on June 23 and has been making progress in improving the water supply, with expectations of stability in the near future.
After being briefed by Chee Chun Chieh, the Kota Kinabalu district engineer from Sabah Water Department, Chan revealed that the main challenge faced by the task force was the drop in water pressure and maintaining a proper balance of water supply throughout different elevations.
Chan mentioned that the task force has been addressing the issue of low water pressure and dry taps for the past six weeks, expressing confidence that the water supply situation will improve in the coming weeks.
According to Chan, water is typically distributed from higher ground to lower ground with the assistance of gravity, and there are multiple water reservoirs in Kota Kinabalu where water is stored before being distributed to consumers.
“The current problem is the lack of pressure to deliver water to these reservoir towers,” he explained, noting that tapping water from the main delivery pipe has resulted in a significant loss of pressure.
“The loss of pressure is further exacerbated by the water department selling water at their depot to water tankers,” Chan added.
Chan mentioned that the department’s strategy is to stop selling water to water tankers in order to maintain a balanced water pressure throughout the delivery system, including areas with higher elevations in the Kota Kinabalu district.
“By adjusting the balance, a flow rate can be determined, and consistency can be achieved throughout the delivery system,” Chan stated after the briefing.
“Hopefully, with this strategy, the department can restore water supply to all consumers in Kota Kinabalu and its neighboring areas such as Putatan and Tuaran districts, as long as there are no external factors like power disruptions that could lead to pump problems,” he concluded.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
