KUALA LUMPUR: Heavy rainfall and flash floods in the upstream part of Sungai Slim and Sungai Geliting in Perak have caused an increase in water turbidity detected in Sungai Bernam, Selangor earlier this morning.
This was confirmed by the Selangor Water Management Authority (Luas) after contacting the Perak state authorities following the detection.
"Luas promptly communicated with Perak authorities and conducted thorough inspections and investigations across the affected areas, including Sungai Slim, Sungai Bil, and Sungai Geliting.
"Observations throughout the day, supported by information from Perak authorities, confirmed that the unusually high turbidity was caused by the influx of rainwater and sediment from flash floods, estimated to have occurred 30 to 40 kilometres upstream.
"This sediment eventually flowed into Sungai Bernam in Selangor, leading to a spike in turbidity,"Luas said in a statement posted on Facebook.
Yesterday, an unscheduled water supply disruption occurred in some parts of Hulu Selangor and Sabak Bernam.
Air Selangor had said this was due to the temporary shutdown at the Sungai Bernam Water Treatment Plant (WTP Sungai Bernam) following the high cloudiness of raw water caused by a water surge in Sungai Bernam.
It was also reported that yesterday, people were left stranded after Sungai Geliting water intake burst resulting in a powerful surge of water, flooding their homes.
The incident also caused 21 people including two babies stranded at the Risda Eco Park in Ulu Slim after a bridge connecting the recreational area collapsed.
Meanwhile, Luas reported a positive downward trend in turbidity levels in Sungai Bernam. However, the reduction has been slow due to the substantial amount of sediment from the flash floods.
Teams from Luas and Air Selangor teams are currently on-site, closely monitoring the situation to ensure it remains under control, it added.