Malaysia News: Water rationing takes toll on health, environment (13 April 2014)

MALAYSIA

Water rationing takes toll on health, environment

Water rationing has created a spike in the use of polystyrene plates and cups.. — Picture by Choo Choy May- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/water-rationing-takes-toll-on-health-environment#sthash.9dYf5Ixc.dpuf

PETALING JAYA, April 13 — Residents of Klang Valley may whine and moan about the lack of water at home due to the rationing exercises but its impact goes beyond just their daily discomfort. - See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/water-rationing-takes-toll-on-health-environment#sthash.9dYf5Ixc.dpuf

The ongoing water rationing was brought on by an unusually long dry season, which is said to be caused by climate change.

In coping with it, people could just be making things worse for the environment and themselves. On top of the list is a spike in the use of polystyrene plates and cups to save water.

Deputy Natural Resources and Environment Minister, Datuk Dr James Dawos Mamit, said polystyrene affects people’s health as well as the environment.

He said polystyrene packaging should not be used in the first place, and encouraged businesses to switch to plates and cutleries made from oil palm trunk fibres as they were more eco-friendly and a biodegradable alternative.

He pointed out that the environmental ministry had conducted road shows to inform the public about the hazards of polystyrene, but the public does not seem to care.

- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/water-rationing-takes-toll-on-health-environment#sthash.9dYf5Ixc.dpuf

“The public take food packaging for granted, which primarily affects their health and eventually, the environment,” he said.

Global Environment Centre River Care coordinator, Kalithasan Kailasam, said although it was good that businesses have thought of a short-term solution to deal with the water rationing, they need to look at the bigger picture.

He advised businesses to better plan their water storage to reduce the usage of disposable cutleries.

“Biodegradable cutleries are a better solution, but it is not the best as it still becomes waste,” he said.

Kalithasan also felt that one of the issues people have to deal with is not having enough clean water.

“People need to understand that rivers with high concentration of pollutants cannot be treated and they need to keep in mind the long-term effects.”

He said 97 per cent of Malaysia’s water supply comes from rivers, and if rivers are not treated with care, they might lose their main source of water.

He added that 58 per cent of local rivers are categorised as clean, 34 per cent as slightly polluted and seven per cent as completely polluted.

Stephanie Evers, environmental science assistant professor of University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, said that with climate change, different countries react differently. Usually, the wet gets wetter while the dry, drier.

She said unusual weather patterns are not only affecting Malaysia, but taking place all over the globe.

Evers added that there is strong evidence which suggests human activities have contributed to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and climate change.

“When there is an increased concentration of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, it acts as a barrier to heat escaping the earth,” she said, which explains the hotter days in the country.

- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/water-rationing-takes-toll-on-health-environment#sthash.9dYf5Ixc.dpuf

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Malaysia News: Water rationing extension decision in two weeks, says Selangor MB (11 April 2014)

MALAYSIA

Water rationing extension decision in two weeks, says Selangor MB

BY BOO SU-LYNAPRIL 11, 2014UPDATED: APRIL 11, 2014 03:06 PM

Residents queue to get water from a Syabas truck at Taman Tan Ming. The Selangor government will decide in a fortnight if water rationing in the Klang Valley should be extended beyond this month. — file picture

SHAH ALAM, April 11 — The Selangor government will decide in a fortnight if water rationing in the Klang Valley should be extended beyond this month, Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said today. - See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/water-rationing-extension-decision-in-two-weeks-says-selangor-mb#sthash.oyHW29hx.dpuf

The Selangor mentri besar was asked about the possibility of the water rationing, which started last month, being prolonged to August to prepare for the dry season.

“We’ll be making a decision in the next two weeks,” Khalid told reporters at the sidelines of the Selangor legislative assembly here today.

“The exco will be meeting next week on how we’ll resolve the water issue and water rationing,” he added.

The fourth phase of water rationing in the Klang Valley is expected to end on April 30 since the exercise started early last month.

DAP’s Klang MP Charles Santiago said yesterday that Malaysia must start harvesting rainwater and ramp up consumer education on prudent water consumption, pointing out that the water problem was here to stay. 

He also criticised Syabas — the main water supplier in the country’s most populous state as well as the neighbouring federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya — for resorting to water rationing instead of exploring other measures to conserve water.

The federal lawmaker pointed out that stopping car washes would save up to eight times more water than rationing measures, or 3.5 million litres a day if one million cars a week are not washed.

According to water information initiative International Benchmarking Network for Water and Sanitation Utilities, Malaysia’s total water consumption in 2007, the latest year where information is available, was 351 litres per person per day, compared to Singapore’s 272 litres.

On non revenue water ― which is water “lost” before it reaches the customer, either through leaks, theft or legal usage for which no payment is made ― Malaysia recorded 34 per cent in 2007, compared to Singapore’s four per cent.

- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/water-rationing-extension-decision-in-two-weeks-says-selangor-mb#sthash.oyHW29hx.dpuf

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Malaysia News: DAP MP: Malaysians use 500l water a day, three times more than Singapore (10 April 2014)

DAP MP: Malaysians use 500l water a day, three times more than Singapore

Citing a 2003 study, Klang MP Charles Santiago rang the alarm as he said Malaysian households use a whopping 500 litres of water a day. — file picture

KUALA LUMPUR, April 10 — Malaysia must start harvesting rainwater and ramp up consumer education measures, a DAP lawmaker said today as the country teeters on the brink of a national water crisis.

Citing a 2003 study, Klang MP Charles Santiago rang the alarm as he said Malaysian households use a whopping 500 litres of water a day compared to Singapore’s 155 litres and Thailand’s 90 litres, while the United Nations’ (UN) recommendation is 200 litres per day.

He also upbraided Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas) — the main water supplier in the country’s most populous state as well as the neighbouring federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya — for resorting to water rationing instead of exploring other measures to conserve water.

“Stopping cars from being washed saves up to eight times more water compared to water rationing,” Charles told a joint press conference with PKR’s Rafizi Ramli and PAS’ Khalid Samad at the Parliament lobby here.

“Water of about 3 million litres per day is conserved, because one million cars times 25 litres for one car wash equals 25 million litres per week, which works out to 3.5 million litres per day,” he added.

According to Charles, the study was carried out by Professor Dr Chan Ngai Weng, who is now the president of consumer awareness group, Penang Water Watch.

The federal lawmaker warned Malaysians that the water problem was here to stay, even as two major dams in Selangor reportedly have just about 80 days of water supply before hitting critical level.

“After one month of water rationing, the government only managed to save a nominal seven per cent,” said Charles.

“The government’s strategy is clearly not working. Households are merely rescheduling their water consumption. The Selangor state government, including SPAN and Syabas, have taken the lazy way out by resorting to water rationing,” he added, referring to two water concessionaires.

Pandan MP Rafizi said Putrajaya should instruct Indah Water Konsortium to improve their filtration system to reduce the ammonia content in the sewerage water coming out from sewerage plants.

“The sewerage treatment plant releases ammonia content of between 20 and 30 milligrams per litre. It goes into the rivers. But the water treatment plants can only process three milligrams per litre.

“So we’re forced to rely on the rain to dilute the ammonia content. How long are we going to wait for the rain?” Rafizi told reporters.

English daily The Star reported Selangor Water Management Authority (Luas) director Md Khairi Selamat today as saying that the water treatment plants in Batu 11, Cheras, and Bukit Tampoi were reopened on March 30, after they were previously closed due to high ammonia levels in rivers.

The fourth phase of water rationing in the Klang Valley is expected to end on April 30 since the exercise started early last month.

- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/dap-mp-malaysians-use-500l-water-a-day-three-times-more-than-singapore#sthash.RcuHURHR.dpuf

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