Selangor is the leading state in Peninsula Malaysia when it comes to decreasing water losses. Non-revenue water has been reduced by nearly four percent in the state over the five-year span from 2018 to 2022. Non-revenue water refers to water that has been produced but is lost before it reaches customers. Selangor’s non-revenue water fell from 31.7% in 2018 to 27.8% in 2022, marking a 3.9% drop.
Following Selangor is Perlis with a 2.3% reduction in non-revenue water over the same period, and then Pahang with a 1.4% drop. The reduction of non-revenue water will be under more public scrutiny with the implementation of new water tariffs on February 1. It’s worth noting that numbers for Sabah and Sarawak are not available as the National Water Services Commission (SPAN) only regulates the water and sewerage industry for Peninsula Malaysia and the Federal Territory of Labuan.
Non-revenue water occurs due to three reasons: physical losses, commercial losses, and unbilled authorized consumption. Physical losses are typically caused by pipe bursts, leaks, servicing issues, and tank overflow. Commercial losses are due to illegal connections, meter issues, billing errors, and water theft. Unbilled authorized consumption refers to water used for firefighting purposes, which cannot be billed.
At 61.5%, Perlis had the highest non-revenue water, followed by Kelantan at 53.7% and Kedah at 51.5%. In 2022, the average non-revenue water hit a new high of 34.4%. This equates to 5.4 billion liters, surpassing the 34% recorded in 2015.
Peninsular Malaysia and the Federal Territory of Labuan produced 15,542 million liters of treated water per day in 2022. This production has increased by 13.8% from 13,662 million liters per day in 2015. Over eight years, the daily average of water consumption rose by 11.4% due to population growth and urbanization. Prior to the new water tariffs, Penang had the cheapest tariff rates for home users at a minimum of RM2.50 per month, and domestic users in Penang were also the heaviest consumers of treated water. The per capita domestic water usage in Penang in 2022 was 307 liters per person per day.
The above-average water consumption rate in Penang is likely influenced by the affordable tariff rates. Kelantan, on the other hand, has a low water consumption rate since 40.7% of its water supply comes from underground sources. Many residents in Kelantan build tube wells to tap into underground water sources due to the state’s long-standing water quality issues.
