150,000 Johor residents affected by scheduled water cut amid dry spell
04 September, 2019
About 150,000 residents in Johor were affected by a month-long water rationing exercise that began on Monday (Sep 2) after the water level at the Machap dam fell below the critical point.
The National Water Services Commission (SPAN) said on Tuesday that the state’s water utility company, Rainhill SAJ, had to activate the exercise due to hot weather and lack of rainfall in the last two weeks, local media reported.
A total of 149,550 consumers in Simpang Renggam, Layang-Layang and North Pontian were expected to experience alternating periods of water supply and disruption until Oct 2.
“To ensure that clean water supply is optimised under limited resource conditions, Ranhill SAJ will arrange to supply water for 36 hours, with the next 36 hours without water supply during the one month period,” SPAN said, according to Malay Mail.
The commission added that water levels in three other dams in Johor – Lebam, Upper Layang and Pulai – also reached critical level, and raw water was being pumped from nearby dams to these dams.
On Saturday, Johor International Trade, Investment and Utilities Committee chairman Jimmy Puah Wee Tse said the water level of the Machap dam reached 14.45m, below the critical level of 14.84m.
He said the dam supplies raw water to the Simpang Renggam water treatment plant.
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