Awang Tengah: Sarawak needs new water sources

MIRI: It is vital for Sarawak’s water-management authorities to locate new sources of drinking water to meet the needs of an increasing population.

“The population in the cities and towns has increased sharply. We cannot depend on the old sources of water supply any more,” said state Public Utilities Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.

“We must explore new sources of water. For example, the Baram River may be the next source of raw water for treatment plants in northern Sarawak,” he added.

Many rivers used as the primary source of raw water for supply to treatment plants have become increasingly polluted, while droughts were more frequent in some parts of the state.

“We will be investing a lot of money to upgrade the capacity of the treatment plants, and replace old pipes and lay new ones, in housing and commercial regions,” he said, during the annual gathering of the Northern Sarawak Wa t er Supply Board here.

Tengah, who is also state Second Minister for Planning and Resour-ces Management, said urban centres were facing increasing needs because of the rise in population and influx of rural migrants searching for jobs.

Board chief executive officer Wong Tiong Kai said the Baram River was the most viable source of water for treatment plants due to the river’s huge volume.

“Recent experience involving droughts showed that we must be more prepared for any eventuality. Just recently (in July), we faced another round of a very dry spell.

“We must put in place plans to tap water from more sources so that we will not be caught unprepared,” he said.

The Baram River is the second longest river in the state and country after the Rejang River. It has hundreds of tributaries. The river is also the second largest in terms of size and volume.