Existing water treatment plants in Malaysia are not equipped to remove toxic chemicals or heavy metals from untreated water, said an environmental expert.

The plants are only designed to remove sediments and bacteria, said Faisal Parish, director of Global Environment Centre, which is part of the UN Environmental Programme.

He raised these points when asked to comment on concerns raised by thousands of residents around Broga - the site of a controversial incinerator proposal currently under assessment for environmental impacts

They have repeatedly expressed anxiety over the possible impact of its emissions and effluent on nearby water sources that feed the Semenyih treatment plant.