3 Johor dams below critical mark due to hot weather
PETALING JAYA: Three dams in Johor - which supply raw water to treatment plants that serve about one million people in the state - are below the critical mark.
This comes about as the hot weather dries up parts of the country despite the occasional thunderstorms in other areas.
The National Water Services Commission (Span) said the water level at the Lebam dam was at 15.9 per cent while the Upper Layang dam was at 21.8 per cent and Pulai 2 dam at 36.1 per cent, as of April 18.
Some 100,000 people in Kota Tinggi, Tanjung Balau, Teluk Ramunia, Pengarang and Bandar Penawar depend on water processed at treatment plants that draw water from the Lebam dam.
The Sultan Iskandar plant treats water for 600,000 people in Pasir Gudang and the eastern part of Johor Baru, specifically Johor Jaya, Bandar Seri Alam and Permas Jaya.
Replying to questions from The Star, the commission said the hot weather also caused the water level at Sungai Sedili Kecil to drop.
This has caused a fall in treated water production at the Lok Heng water treatment plant in Kota Tinggi, which led to supply disruptions for 4,004 households and premises that ended last Sunday.
Falling water levels at Sungai Gembut has, meanwhile, forced the Sungai Gembut water treatment plant in Kota Tinggi to reduce the production of treated water.
The commission said the water operator, Ranhill SAJ, started a scheduled water supply programme on March 21 that ended on Friday last week for 6,041 households and premises.
Span said it would continue to monitor the water level of dams that supply water to treatment plants to ensure a continuous supply of treated water to consumers.
"Span urges state governments and water operators in all states to closely monitor the situation at dams and rivers which supply water to their treatment plants," the commission said.
"This will allow early measures to be taken to deal with any possibility of water supply disruptions." - THE STAR
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