KUCHING, Jan 17: Dudong assemblyman Dato Sri Tiong King Sing has urged relevant authorities to further improve the water supply system in Sibu and Kanowit to ensure uninterrupted water supply.
In a statement today, Tiong said he has met with the Sibu Water Board and several consultants from Kuching today to discuss Sibu’s long-term water supply plan.
He suggested that because the water supply issue in Sibu Jaya had plagued locals for more than five years, one of the 600mm pipes from the Sibu Jaya and Kanowit Phase 2 project should be directly connected to supply water to the Sibu Jaya area.
“There is no need to connect to Kanowit to avoid the hazards of insufficient water pressure. However, the water supply system in Kanowit should be further improved to ensure uninterrupted supply for residents here.
“Besides reducing the maintenance costs in the future, it is also necessary for the authorities to plan to increase the current population of 40,000 in Sibu Jaya after completing the housing project,” he said.
The Bintulu MP said currently that the Sibu pipe systems are messy, and some are even installed in drains in a way that wastes funds and blocks future widening works of the road.
“Therefore, the authorities need to estimate the costs of these projects immediately so that the government can make long-term plans to solve the unstable water supply problems in Sibu gradually,” he added.
Tiong pointed out that the initially proposed Phase 3 of the Salim Water Treatment Plant is expected to increase from the original 150 MLD per day to 300 MLD in 2025.
However, he said, the authorities expect to take a year to observe the field to determine the viability of the design.
He hoped the engineers would speed up the project and provide treated water to cater to Sibu’s future development.
“We have to prepare for foreign investors interested in setting up factories in the future by ensuring that there is sufficient water and electricity supply.
“The relevant units must work together to design a solid and sustainable water supply system with long-term planning and avoid challenges of maintenance and upgrades in the future,” he said. ― DayakDaily
