PAPAR: The 80 million litres per day (MLD) Kogopon Water Treatment Plant (WTP) and the new Kabang Raw Water Intake Plant here are expected to be operational in November and August this year, respectively.
The two projects are expected to help address water supply shortages in Papar, Putatan and Kimanis.
In this regard, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor directed the State Water Department to closely monitor the projects and ensure they are completed without further delays.
“Be more proactive in addressing water shortage issues by sending water tankers to affected areas, not only here but throughout the state.
“The water supply problem is a legacy issue, but as a responsible government, we want to address it,” the Chief Minister said during a briefing on the two projects at Langkah Syabas Resort near here today.
Earlier, State Water Department Director Chee Chun Chieh told the Chief Minister that the RM365.9 million Kogopon WTP is scheduled to begin supplying water by the end of November.
Also present were Deputy Chief Minister I and Minister of Works and Utilities Datuk Seri Panglima Joachim Gunsalam, and Minister of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, who is also the Papar Member of Parliament.
The Kogopon WTP project is expected to be fully completed by 2028. However, Chee said it should be able to start supplying water by the end of this year to meet demand in Papar, Putatan and as far as Kimanis.
Regarding the RM39.73 million Kabang Water Intake Plant, the Chief Minister was briefed that the project is now 90 per cent complete and is expected to be commissioned by September this year.
The new water intake plant is expected to increase capacity from nine MLD to 30 MLD. It was built further upstream of the Papar River in Kabang to avoid salinity issues that frequently affected the existing Emergency Water Supply Scheme (EWSS) Treatment Plant and its water intake at Limbahau.-pr/BNN
