SHAH ALAM: Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Syabas) is expediting works to replace a burst seabed pipe in Terusan Bagan, which caused 1,200 households in Pulau Ketam, Bagan Teochew and Sungai Lima to lose their water supply on Tuesday.
Syabas customer relations and communications department head Abdul Raof Ahmad said they are working around the clock on the seabed to replace the broken pipe.
The damaged length of pipe will be replaced with a new 400mm-thick high density polyethylene pipe 100 metres long.
Raof said the team carrying out the works comprises eight divers and Syabas staff members.
“The progress of removing the faulty pipe from the seabed is currently at 50 per cent. Our target is to complete removing the broken pipe, connect the new one and other related works by or before Thursday.
“This is the estimation of the job completion. However, we are doing our level best to expedite the works. (Dealing with) broken pipes under the sea requires time and it also depends on the weather.
“Once the reconnection of the pipe is completed, we will reactivate the water supply to the three areas,” Raof told the NSTP today.
He said Syabas has taken pro-active steps to supply residents in Pulau Ketam, Bagan Teochew and Sungai Lima with 3,000 five-litre bottles of water daily.
Meanwhile, Pulau Ketam village head Chua Chuan Tie said he hopes that Syabas will speed up the repair works.
“At the moment, we are able to cope well. We are given two five-litre bottles of drinking water and it is sufficient for a household’s consumption for a day. It has been pouring for a few days and residents have been collecting rain water, too.
“So far, none of the restaurants on the island has been forced to close. They are operating as usual. We hope the situation will return to normal as soon as possible,” Chua added.