Kota kinabalu: Immediate mitigation work, including the interconnection of pipes, to restore water supply in Kinarut and Kawang here is targeted to be completed by Jan 24, said Papar Member of Parliament Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali. Armizan, who is also the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister, stated that the project is an immediate step decided by the Sabah state government to address the water supply disruptions affecting residents in the area since late December.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, physical ground work commenced on Jan 9 and is currently being carried out intensively to ensure the target is achieved to solve the water supply problem faced by residents. The interconnection will significantly reduce the water supply distance from the main tank of the Kogopon water treatment plant (WTP) to Kawang's main tank from 33 kilometres (km) to just 10.3 km, allowing additional supplies to be channelled directly to meet the critical needs in the affected areas, Armizan mentioned in a statement after inspecting the project's progress.
Bernama had previously reported complaints from residents in the affected areas who requested a long-term solution to the water supply issue, as some were forced to collect rainwater using ladles and buckets for survival. Armizan also noted that the process involves the temporary closure of the Kogopon WTP for approximately 10 hours for valve replacement work at the plant's intake, which is expected to begin late on Tuesday night (Jan 20), with an official notice to be issued by the Sabah State Water Department (JANS).
Elaborating further, Armizan highlighted that the water treatment capacity at the Kogopon WTP was immediately increased by 10 per cent, or about 3.5 to 4 million litres per day, as an interim measure while waiting for the Kogopon 2 WTP upgrading project to be fully completed in the fourth quarter of 2026. "We are doing our best to stop the hardship being faced by the residents for so long and hope that the rationing issue in the area can be resolved as soon as this work is completed," he added.