JOHOR BARU: Johor will become the first state in the country to recycle waste water for use in the industrial sector under an initiative spearheaded by Tunku Temenggong Johor Tunku Idris Sultan Ibrahim.
The Johor prince said the initiative was urgently needed because of the estimated 1,173 million litres per day (MLD) of waste water produced by Johor, which could be recycled to boost the overall water reserves in the state.
Tunku Idris said the country's first facility to process waste water will be built in Pasir Gudang, which will be turned into an eco-friendly industrial town.
"Since most of the domestic water supply is discharged into our drains and rivers instead of consumer as drinking water, I have worked with world class technology partners over the last 12 months to draw up plans for recycled water for the use of our industries in Johor and it is called Bluewater.
"Like NEWater in Singapore, the water will be tested to meet World Health Organisation standards and UN-water (United Nations-Water) guidelines," Tunku Idris told a press conference here.
Tunku Idris is honorary chairman of Jauhar Green Sdn Bhd, a company in green technology initiatives, which is instrumental in developing
The announcement for the waste water recycling facility in Pasir Gudang will be made by the end of next month.
The facility is expected to be built within the next three years, and involves a collaboration with the state government subsidiary Kumpulan Prasarana Rakyat Johor Sdn Bhd.
"This initiative to recycle waste water for industries is the first of its kind in the country.
"If we do not start now, then when? We cannot risk having another water shortage," he said referring to cases of low water levels recorded in a few dams in Johor in the past two years.