ALMOST 1.2 million Klang Valley consumers will be without water supply for at least four days, after river contamination by a factory led to the closure of four treatment plants in Selangor.

Pengurusan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd CEO Suhaimi Kamaralzaman said the pollution level at the plants must be at zero threshold odour number (TON) for supply to be safe for consumption.

“Currently, the contamination level is at one TON, which is not yet safe,” he told a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today.

“The zero TON level must be met in three consecutive tests before the plants can start operating again.

“When the plants resume operations, consumers will start receiving water supply within four days.”

Air Selangor said 1,196,457 users in 1,292 areas spread out across Kuala Lumpur, Petaling, Klang, Shah Alam, Kuala Selangor, Hulu Selangor, Gombak and Kuala Langat are affected by the cut, which began at 10am yesterday.

Earlier, Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari said the machinery-maintenance factory behind the pollution in Sg Selangor has been shut and fined.

He said investigation papers have been opened against the facility for prosecution.

On the pollutants involved, Suhaimi said an analysis of raw water taken at the site detected the Ester and 1,3-Dioxolene compounds.

“These are usually not found in unpolluted water sources.”

He said consumers went a week without water supply when the same treatment plants were shut for a total of 10 hours in two back-to-back closures following odour pollution detected on July 19 last year and diesel pollution two days later.

The issue of river pollution must be viewed seriously, he said, describing the current supply disruption as a major problem.

“This has been a more than 24-hour shutdown. Consumers must understand the magnitude of the problem, and my concern is that people don’t. This is a big problem, not a small one.”

Suhaimi advised consumers to use water prudently when supply resumes.

Air Selangor will provide updates on the situation via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and its website.

State exco Hee Loy Sian has identified the factory in question as belonging to Yip Chee Seng & Sons Sdn Bhd, servicing and maintaining heavy machinery.

In a SelangorTV report, he said the facility did not dispose of black oil discharge properly, allowing it to flow into a drain that leads to the river.

The factory is a repeat offender, having been fined for the same offence previously, he said. – September 4, 2020.