State agency Selangor Water Management Authority (Luas) is preparing for a “possible water emergency” as the water crisis worsens beyond 1998 levels, the Star reported.

The daily quoted Luas director Md Khairi Selamat saying discussions are underway with the National Water Services Commission (Span) to prepare for this, but stressed “we have not reached that stage yet”.

Md Khairi said that low levels in dams supplying water to the Klang Valley have only 80 days left of supply in them before reaching the critical stage, despite daily rain.

The Sungai Selangor dam might last 71 days while the Klang Gates dam has about 88 days of water supply left before hitting critical stage.

Luas hopes that the dams will fill up by April 30 as this month's expected rainfall is equivalent to the average rainfall in November, the wettest month of the year.

Md Khairi said 200mm of rainfall is needed for the Sungai Selangor dam to rise to 55 percent level from its current 37.38 percent, before rationing can end.

In 1998, 1.8 million people in the Klang Valley experienced six months of water rationing due to long drought and absence of rain.

Meanwhile, the New Straits Times quoted sources saying the Wangsa Maju water treatment plant has stopped operations due to water supply from Sungai Gombak being too murky.

This will affect 60,000 users in Selangor.

The report also quotes unnamed residents blaming the murky water to construction projects near Sungai Salak, which flows to Sungai Gombak.