A FOOD factory in Beranang, Selangor, was issued a two-week stop work order effective yesterday over suspicions it is the source of odour pollution in Sungai Semenyih, the Environment and Water Ministry said in a statement today.

The ministry said the state Environment Department (DOE) has opened an investigation paper to charge the factory owner with causing the shutdown of the Semenyih water treatment plant (LRA) on August 31 and on September 3.

“Investigations by the Selangor DOE last Thursday and Friday found that the plant was operational and several industrial effluent discharge and river water samples at the inlet were taken and sent to the Chemistry Department for chemical composition analysis.

“Further investigations were  conducted at midnight last Friday and air quality surveillance carried out at the factory’s final discharge point (prior to public drains) had  detected several volatile organic compounds in the air which released an odour similar to the substances detected in the water samples taken during the Semenyih LRA shutdown on Aug 31,“ the statement read.

Following these findings, the DOE issued a notice to the factory under section 38 (1) (a) of the Environmental Quality Act, 1974 to stop immediately stop polluting the water and to suspend its production processes has been until further notice.

The case is investigated under section 25 (1) Environmental Quality Act, 1974 and the Environmental Quality (Industrial Effluent) Regulations 2009.

The ministry said the National Water Services Commission had taken wastewater samples as well as other evidence at the factory and opened an investigation paper under Section 121(1)(C) of the Water Services Industry Act 2006 (Act 655) for the contamination of water offence. The act provides for a maximum jail time of 10 years or a fine not exceeding RM500,000 or both for the convicted party.

The Sungai Semenyih LRA was closed following the detection of odour causing substances in the Jenderam Hilir inlet on Friday.

The shutdown caused water supply disruptions in Petaling (172 areas), Hulu Langat (54), Sepang (194), Putrajaya (23) and Kuala Langat (20). – Bernama, September 5, 2021.