KUALA LUMPUR: Selangor executive councillor for Tourism, Environment, Green Technology and Consumer Affairs Elizabeth Wong said the pollution level of Sungai Buah, Negri Sembilan, remains critical.
She said water samples taken from the river, which flows into the Sungai Semenyih Water Treatment Plant, contains the toxic 4-bromodiphenyl ether.
“We have already received expert advice on the content of the poison,” Wong told reporters when met at the Parliament lobby here today.
"The water samples emit an unpleasant odour with a Threshold Odour Number (TON) of four, which means the water must be treated,” Wong said, adding that dead fish were also found in the water where the samples were taken.
TON is the dilution ratio at which odour is detectable.
"The water samples were submitted to the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar,” said the Bukit Lanjan assemblyman, adding that the Negri Sembilan Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, has been notified about it.
Additionally, a police report was also made on Sunday.
"Presently, the water is being pumped out into retention ponds to prevent it from contaminating the water supply for public use,” she added.
Previously, Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azmin Ali said that five meter-high walls will be built by Pengurusan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd at Sungai Buah to block the flow of polluted water into Sungai Semenyih.
The move is to ensure that the Sungai Semenyih Water Treatment Plant can operate as usual.
Azmin noted that the pollution had interrupted water supply to 360,000 account holders in Selangor.