IPOH: Some 19,000 consumer accounts in Kerian here have been experiencing water supply disruption since 8am today after operations at the Jalan Baru Water Treatment Plant were halted following contamination.
According to Perak Public Amenities, Infrastructure, Agriculture and Plantation committee chairman Datuk Abdul Yunus Jamhari, the move was made after raw water from Terusan Besar, which flows from Bukit Merah Lake, experienced a deterioration in quality.
He said the water treatment plant’s operations will resume once the high quality of the raw water is restored.
“The Perak Water Board (PWB) and the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) have since opened the Pekan Batu 5 water pump to enable irrigation water to flow and improve the water quality at Terusan Besar,” Abdul Yunus said in a statement today.
The disruption is being experienced at several areas: Parit Buntar, Tanjung Piandang, Bagan Tiang and Kuala Kurau.
Abdul Yunus said that PWB has mobilised tanker lorries to provide clean water for affected Kuala Kurau residents. The source of water for the district is the Semanggol Water Treatment Plant, which was also affected by contamination.
“The raw water quality (there) is being monitored, and there has been an improvement in terms of the quality,” he said, adding that the Jalan Baru Water Treatment Plant, with a capacity of 50 million litres per day, provides water to Parit Buntar, Tanjung Piandang and Kuala Kurau.
He added that if necessary, the DID will pump water from Sungai Samagagah to Terusan Besar, via the Sungai Bogak pump house.
“The DID would also pump water from Sungai Kurau to Terusan Besar,” Abdul Yunus added.