By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, June 8: Two federal water supply projects in Sarawak under the Sibu Water Board (SWB) are among seven nationwide that are scheduled for completion this year, as part of efforts to strengthen water infrastructure ahead of the Southwest Monsoon season.
The projects are the Programme to Reduce Non-Revenue Water (NRW) Rate in Sarawak (Phase 2) and the Rehabilitation of Water Distribution System in Sarawak (Phase 2).
The remaining five projects are located in Perlis, Terengganu, Pahang, and Sabah.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (PETRA) Dato Sri Fadillah Yusof said the Federal Government has allocated RM796.4 million in development funding this year in the form of loans to State governments to finance various water supply projects.
“As of May 2025, there are 28 projects being implemented in Sabah (12), Sarawak (5), Pahang (3), Terengganu (3), Kedah (2), Perlis (2), and Kelantan (1),” he told reporters when met at a korban meat distribution ceremony here today. An audio recording of the doorstep interview was made available to DayakDaily afterwards.
The said projects are currently at various stages of implementation—15 are under construction, seven are in the procurement process, and two are still in the design phase.
“Four projects are still pending tender due to scope changes and are currently awaiting approval for additional funding from the Economy Ministry under the Notice of Change (NOC) process,” he added.
On the importance of public involvement, Fadillah, who also serves as Petra Jaya assemblyman, emphasised the need for everyone to play a role in conserving water during the dry season.
“Sometimes, our attitude is—when brushing our teeth, the water is left running. When we bathe, even while soaping, the water is still running. That is actually wastage,” he said.
He suggested that households install rainwater storage systems.
“Storage means that during rainy days, rainwater can be stored in tanks. The tank water can be used for watering plants and other non-drinking purposes,” he said, adding that clean water should be prioritised for drinking and cooking.
He also raised concern over non-revenue water (NRW), referring to treated water lost before it reaches consumers due to leaks, aging pipes, or illegal tapping.
“According to the current national average, 40 per cent of water is lost. Imagine, we process water, and 40 per cent is just lost like that.
“If we can solve the problem by replacing pipes across the entire country, we will be able to save 40 per cent of water losses,” he stated. — DayakDaily
