Two metres of rain falls each year in Malaysia, yet we still suffer from a shortage of water. One of the wettest places in the world, our taps run dry while our roads are flooded.

Something is very wrong with our water supply system.

In early 1998, Selangor faced a crisis of supply. Over a million people had their supply disrupted. Many urban residents relied on tankers. The problem lasted for months, and it cost the people over RM20 million.

The state had more rainfall in the first three months of 1998 than it had in previous years ( The Star , May 1, 1998), but the crisis was blamed on poor rainfall.

One real problem was a lack of raw water that could be treated. And there was a lack of raw treatable water because of the pollution of our water sources. The Bukit Jelutong treatment plant was closed because of heavy pollution.

In March 1998, a treatment plant at Cheras Batu 11 was shut down and 'Ops Langat' was conducted to secure Sungai Langat's water intake points, with more than seven factories found contaminating the river. Even Indah Water Consortium was found guilty of effluent dumping in April 1998, at the height of the water crisis (National Poison Centre newsletter, June 1998).

Hikes in water prices

Aggravating the problem were burst pipes and leakage. More than a third of Selangor's piped water was lost through leaks alone during 1998.

The 1998 water crisis showed a pattern of plentiful rainfall coupled with pitiful management. Good management is essential to preventing another shortage.

But, there are other reasons why we should be concerned about the management of Selangor and the Klang Valley's water supply.

The price of water is rising, and large supply projects, the Sungai Selangor and Sungai Kelau dams, are underway. Irreversible damage is being done to the environment, at huge cost, justified by the water crisis of 1998 and by huge growth in water consumption over the next 10 years.

Even if this growth is likely, are these projects necessary?

First, let's take a look at how much treated (read expensive) water could be saved through fixing leaks. According to 1998's published figures, as opposed to the rhetoric of government or JBAS (Waterworks Department of Selangor) spokespeople, Selangor lost 36 per cent of its piped water to leaks. This means that 36 per cent of the water supplied by the Selangor dam will be lost through leaks - if the pipes were fixed, one of the two treatment plants would be unnecessary.

Altogether, if the leaks were brought down to an internationally acceptable level, say 14 per cent, it would provide water for over a million people on current consumption estimates. Which is water for more than two million using the more realistic Malaysian Water Association consumption figures.

Positive measures

The government has just released long overdue funds to help solve this problem. Great, you might think. But there are problems. We aren't being told how much water is being saved. An initial contract of RM399 million has, in two years, inflated to RM2 billion, while the total amount of water lost keeps increasing.

Just like the water, money is being pumped continuously into the system. And just like the water, it keeps falling through the gaps.

Another positive measure announced is the installation of rainwater collection systems on new residential units, bureaucrat-speak for houses and flats. Fantastic. The only problem here is we've heard it all before.

Let's, however, be optimistic, suspend disbelief for just a few paragraphs. We have two positive developments. The water supply situation should improve. The difficulty here is that we don't know by how much.

It is plausible that the amount of water generated by these two developments could supply as much, or more, water than the Sg Selangor dam. And maybe the Sungai Kelau dam. Hey, if every house is fitted with rainwater collection devices, perhaps Selangor could sell water to Pahang.

But the problem is we don't know. And the planners certainly aren't expecting any huge savings, they're going ahead with more supply projects. Projects that will force people from their homes, that drown swathes of our most fertile land, destroy our natural heritage and kill off our rivers.

Repairing leaks

So the people in Selangor are faced with the worst scenarios on all fronts: paying more for their water; losing their rivers; and facing an uncertain water supply situation. How could this be improved?

What is required is openness on the part of the water supply industry and government. Not just on how much is being spent and saved by repairing leaks and installing rainwater harvesting units, but also openness to reassessing current projects and supply predictions.

For the predictions to make sense, the population of Selangor has to grow at nine per cent each year. This is twice the most recent growth rates and almost four times the national projected growth rate. These figures need to be justified.

We also need to look again at our water consumption habits. People in KL and Selangor use more water per person than people in Sydney, Singapore or Saudi. We have to somehow quench this thirst.

The government also needs to make estimates on how much water will be generated from the overhaul of the supply system. Why are we still using figures that don't take into account the savings from repairing pipes or rainwater harvesting systems?

Water supply is an important issue. It's about time someone addressed it seriously.

SONIA RANDHAWA is a part-time activist with SOS (Save Our Sungai) Selangor, campaigning to stop the Sungai Selangor dam project.