Puncak gloxinia: The construction of 10 units of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) suction tanks with a capacity of 10,000 gallons at the Puncak Gloxinia Condominium, Kinarut is expected to help reduce the impact of water supply disruptions that are often faced by more than 1,200 residential units in the civil servant housing complex.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali stated that the construction of the tanks was a follow-up to the Papar District Water Supply Stabilization Briefing to Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor on July 28. The Papar MP highlighted that the briefing also focused on the Kampung Kabang Water Intake Upgrading Project and the Kogopon Water Treatment Plant (WTP) Upgrading Project, which are targeted to start operating to stabilise water supply in the Papar Parliament in September and November this year, respectively.
"During the briefing, plans also emerged to build 10 HDPE suction tanks at Puncak Gloxinia, Kinarut, Papar," he mentioned in a statement after inspecting the tank construction location today. The Puncak Gloxinia Condominium, which was first occupied at the end of 2018, comprises six blocks with a total of 1,296 residential units.
The area is one of the most affected when there is a supply disruption at the Kogopon WTP because it is located at the end of the water receiving channel for the main P3 tank. "Apart from being the last recipient, the situation became more serious because it was a stratified housing with 18 floors per block," he noted.
Armizan emphasized that although there were 24 existing upper storage tanks in the area, the facilities were still insufficient to meet the needs of residents when there was a water supply disruption. He explained that the situation differed from traditional villages or terraced housing areas because the process of delivering water to multi-storey buildings was more complicated, including residents having to transport water from the ground floor to their respective homes.
In this regard, the Sabah State Water Department has planned to build 10 additional water suction tanks with a capacity of 10,000 gallons each and install a 600-metre-long connecting pipe. This increased capacity is expected to enable water supply stocks to be channelled to residents for a longer period in the event of a temporary disruption, thus helping to address issues that have been burdening residents for a long time.