KOTA KINABALU: Sabah assemblymen have been urged to support the building of dams for the purpose of long-term water supply in the state.
Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Shahelmey Yahya said that the state needed to have more dams.
"The state government has plans to build Ulu padas dam and Papar dam. Papar dam, or Kaiduan dam, had received objections from certain parties.
"Now we are doing a feasibility study in which the decision is expected to come in October before we make the final decision," he said during the state assembly question-and-answer session here.
Datuk Darell Leiking (Warisan-Moyog) and Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal (Warisan-Senallang) had asked about the water disruption at the Sabah Women and Children's hospital.
Shahelmey, who is also Public Works Minister, said the source of water supply that provided water to the hospital was via the Telibong II Phase I Water Treatment Plant.
"For the time being, the issue of water supply disruption at the Women and Children's Hospital Sabah has been resolved.
"The Sabah State Water Department, through the Kota Kinabalu District Water Department, is aware of the disruption in water supply in that area and has taken immediate action by implementing control measures at the sluice gates to ensure an even distribution of water supply and to enhance water pressure to the affected area, particularly the Sabah Women and Children's Hospital.
"Furthermore, a project that is currently under construction, namely the upgrading project of the Telibong II Phase II Water Treatment Plant, which is expected to be completed by early next month, will be able to provide an additional 20 per cent treated water or approximately 16 MLD (million litres per day) to meet the water supply needs in the UITM, SSM, ILP, IKM, UMS, Likas Hospital, and surrounding areas.
"This additional 16 MLD, which will be integrated into the existing water supply system, will help alleviate water supply disruption issues in the concerned area until the completion of the Telibong II Phase II project, including the installation of new pipelines to fully address the situation."
For supplementary questions, Leiking also asked why low water pressure still happened, and whether a white paper should be presented to inform people of the water cleanliness channelled through old and rusty pipes.
Shahelmey said that Sabah Water department had initiated recovery programmes since June through monitoring and supervision, coordinated and adjusted water distribution to address disparities in water pressure, as well as non-revenue water.
"The replacement of old water pipes, especially asbestos cement pipes that are decades old, is also underway. However, this process requires a significant capital expenditure (CapEx).
"Regarding the proposed white paper, we can discuss and consider providing explanations to ensure that the public comprehends the current status of water supply in the state of Sabah."