The water level at the Sungai Selangor dam which supplies water to much of Klang Valley has recovered less than one percent in the last three days but is already facing the threat of a looming drought.

According to the Selangor Water Management Authority (Luas), the water level at the Sungai Selangor dam today stands at 38.53 percent, up by a mere 0.65 percent since Wednesday. 

It received a rainfall of a meagre 17.62mm in the last 24 hours despite April being a rainy period due to the transition of the monsoon season.

Luas had said that the water rationing will only be lifted when the dam's water level hits 55 percent which requires 200mm of rain.

But the concern is even if the dam does recover, the water level will plunge back down when drought hits in mid May and worsens by June, negating the gains and prolonging the water rationing for Klang Valley's 6.7 million users .

"It is hard to predict whether the dams in Selangor, especially the Sungai Selangor dam can reach normal levels before June when there will be a severe dry spell," Malaysian Meteorological Department's weather centre director Muhammad Helmi Abdullah was quoted as saying in Berita Harian today.

The state government appears mindful of the bleak situation. "We expect rainfall until the middle of May.

"We are worried because after that the drought will start again," exco in charge of water infrastructure Ahmad Yunus was quoted as saying in Harakah today.

He said the authorities had taken the opportunity of the higher moisture content in April for cloud seeding but it had not helped much.

'Up to eight months to recover'

He added for the Sungai Selangor dam to reach a comfortable level of 80 to 90 percent, it will take up to six to eight months.

Ahmad said the state government had adopted measures to address the problem including constructing the Hybrid off River Augmentation System (Horas).

Horas is essentially a water retention pond that channels excess water from streams and can supply up to 600 million litres per day. 

However, the new system will bring little relief for the ongoing shortage as it will only be usable from next year.

Ahmad said it was not possible to transfer water from other dams to deal with the shortage as the current infrastructure make-up did not allow for it.

He added the state government is making use of ground water and rain water to help cushion the water crisis.

The water level at other key dams are as follow: Batu (78.51 percent), Klang Gates (53.96 percent), Langat (51.42 percent), Semenyih (72.73 percent), Sungai Tinggi (61.40 percent) and Tasik Subang (84.69 percent).