Water concessionaire Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas) has conceded the Selangor government's argument that reducing non-revenue water (NRW) would help solve any shortage of water supply.

NONE However, chief operating officer Lee Miang Koi claimed that the company’s efforts are being stopped by the state government itself.

"If we can reduce NRW, it is true, the problem can be solved, but our ability to reduce NRW has been blocked,” he told a public briefing in Balakong today.

“The programmes which we have proposed to replace pipes and repair leaks were blocked, as (these need) the approval of the National Water Services Commission (Span) and the Selangor government," said

Lee said Syabas had replaced 800km of water pipes from 2005 to mid-2008, after it took over from state corporation Perbadanan Urus Air Selangor Berhad (Puas).

"When Syabas took over Puas, NRW was at 42.78 percent, so that much water that comes out from the plants is lost through the distribution system.

"But between 2005 and 2008, we managed to reduce it to 32 percent and this level remains ... If Syabas had not reduced NRW, we would have faced water problems long before this.

"Then came the plan to restructure the water supply sector, so Syabas (was prevented from continuing). They said ‘Because of the ongoing restructuring, do not change any more (pipes)’, and that is where we are stuck.

"From 2008 on, we could not do anything. We were only given a few approvals to do very critical work.”

Asked who had given the instructions, Lee replied: “We take instructions from Span, and Span said they got instructions from the state government.”

‘Capex funds crucial’

Syabas said that it faces 500 cases of burst pipes and another 6,000 cases of leaking pipes each month and that the best it can do now is to maintain NRW at 32 percent.

NONE Selangor's approval for capital expenditure funding for Syabas to repair the pipes should not be dependent on the water restructuring exercise, Lee said.

"So it is not our call. We are fully aware that this is a real problem and we have repeatedly reminded the state government and Span that we need to change the pipes because people are suffering from the water (supply disruptions) and we are also losing water.

"But the reality is we cannot do it, it is frozen, so NRW is high.”

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