The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry has recommended that the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) of the water treatment plant operators to be reviewed to identify the type of odour pollution that enables them to close the plant.

Its minister, Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, said the proposal was to ensure the closure of the water treatment plants would not affect the water supply to users.

“So far, only Pengurusan Air Selangor monitors the odour parameter whereas the odour parameter is not required to be monitored in raw water supply by the Health Ministry.

“The Department of Environment (DOE) also has no odour parameter under the National Water Quality Standard for the rivers,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Wan Junaidi was commenting on the recent odour pollution crisis in Sungai Buah in Nilai, Negri Sembilan, which led to the closure of the Sungai Semenyih Water Treatment Plant and affected about 1.6 million users in Selangor.

The ministry, in collaboration with integrated multi-agency team including the DOE, Department of Irrigation and Drainage, Selangor Water Management Authority (Luas), state government and local authorities, had taken various measures to address the issue.

These include repairing a broken embankment to prevent overflow from Sungai Buah into Sungai Semenyih.

“Repair works on the broken embankment are ongoing. Three more embankments will be built, after which, the water will flow through a small channel at the first embankment and overflow through the following embankments. Activated carbon filters would be placed at each embankment to reduce the odour.”

Wan Junaidi said the DOE would continue to monitor the repair works and give advice to the parties involved.

- Bernama