By DayakDaily Team
SIBU, April 1: As taps across the Swan City ran dry and households waited anxiously, a different reality unfolded beneath the streets at Jalan Tong Sang and Jalan Wong King Huo.
There, in a muddy trench 2.5 metres deep, a group of men worked against time, Sarawak Water Sdn Bhd (Central Region) shared on its social media today.
They are not just workers in reflective vests and helmets. They are fathers thinking of their children at home without water, sons whose families were among the affected, and neighbours carrying the weight of a city’s expectations on their shoulders.
For nearly 24 hours straight, they remained in that pit. Welding a 600mm MSCL pipeline under such conditions is never easy. This time, the work came with technical setbacks, physical exhaustion, and the pressure of knowing that about 70 per cent of Sibu was relying on them.
At one point, a rare moment of rest was captured: bodies sprawled on the hard ground, catching minutes of sleep wherever they could. No comfort, no shelter but just a brief pause before pushing on again.
Sarawak Water reported that the critical welding works, which had caused water disruptions to about 70 per cent of Sibu, were successfully completed at 11.30am today.
The men emerged from the trench mud-streaked and drained, yet quietly triumphant. Their job was more than fixing a pipe, it was about restoring normalcy to thousands of lives.
With welding complete, the operation has moved into the system recovery phase. Teams are systematically opening sluice valves, while the Salim and Bukit Lima water treatment plants prepare to resume full operations and recharge the network.
Authorities have cautioned residents that the return of water may not be immediate or perfect. Pipes may sputter as trapped air escapes, water may appear murky at first due to disturbed sediments, and taps will need flushing. Areas at higher elevations or at the far ends of the system may receive water later than others.
But the flow will return. And when it does, it will carry the unseen effort of the men who made it possible.
In a city momentarily brought to a standstill, they stood firm through fatigue, mud, and the quiet knowledge that their work mattered.
As Sibu’s water supply gradually stabilises today, it is worth remembering: behind every drop is a story of sacrifice. These are Sibu’s true local heroes. — DayakDaily
