PETALING JAYA: Despite the seemingly frequent headlines about water cuts in Selangor, the state saw a significant decrease in unscheduled disruptions caused by pollution last year.

There were three unscheduled water supply disruptions due to pollution in 2021, compared to 11 in 2020.

This is partly due to the effectiveness of integrated efforts by the Selangor Water Management Authority (LUAS) Quick Squad and other agencies in the Ops Sumber Air Selangor.

As Malaysia’s biggest economy, Selangor requires clean consistent water supply.

The manufacturing sector continues to be the prime mover of the state, where fast growing population and expanding urbanisation have also created new demands for water availability.

LUAS, which is responsible for the management and protection of Selangor’s water resources including river basins, ground and surface water, lakes, ponds and former mines as well as the state coastline, has beefed up its monitoring and enforcement.

“The year 2021 showed improvements in terms of the control and mitigation of water resources pollution compared to 2020.

“One of the factors towards this positive development is the operational effectiveness of the LUAS Quick Squad along with the other integrated agencies involved in the Ops Sumber Air Selangor,” said LUAS in a statement to The Star.

In both 2020 and 2021, there were 21 Code Yellow cases each year in Selangor.

Code Yellow cases are those that could potentially cause water treatment plants (WTP) to halt operations but were successfully dealt with immediately.

Meanwhile, there were three Code Red cases in 2021 and 11 in 2020.

Code Red cases are those that cause the WTP to halt operations, thus cutting off water supply to consumers.

For 2022, as of May 24, there were 18 Code Yellow cases and two Code Red cases.

To curb water pollution, one of the initiatives being studied and planned by LUAS is the “Zero Discharge Policy” for every commercial and industrial activity. It aims to stop effluents from being discharged into the state’s waterways.

The policy would compel industries to recycle effluents instead of releasing them into the drainage system.

“This Green Initiative is a plan for the future that will be implemented in river basins in the state in collaboration with the Environment Department and local authorities,” said LUAS.

Community programmes such as Friends of the River (FoR) were among the initiatives by LUAS to involve the community in the conservation of rivers and the surroundings.

To mark World Environment Day today, LUAS has urged Malaysians to play an active role in protecting the environment and water sources.LUAS said Malaysians should be concerned about the sensitive areas of the state’s water resources, especially the rivers. It also urged business sectors to practise accountability in their activities that have the potential to impact water resources.

The owners of premises must also work to increase control and quality of effluents produced and discharged from their premises, said LUAS.

“Seek help and advice from related authorities on the management of effluents, including scheduled material waste disposal so that premises and business operations do not pollute water resources.

Malaysians are also urged to report any suspicious activities that could potentially pollute water sources in Selangor to LUAS.

LUAS can be reached via its email at aduan@luas.gov.my, or on it’s WhatsApp number +6019 264 7904, as well as its Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts.