Effects of COVID-19 on the Water Industry

A Quran verse was the preface provided by Ismail Adnan, host of RTM’s #BicaraNaratif segment on 18 March 2020, which centred on the Effects of COVID-19 on the Water Industry.

The guest of honour for this segment was Datuk Ir Abdul Kadir Mohd Din FASc, ASM Fellow and President of the Malaysian Water Association (MWA).

Datuk Abdul Kadir stated that water is an important basic necessity required by humans. We can last longer without food, but we will perish sooner without water.

He highlighted the sixth UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG): Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. Water can bring relief, but it can also become a carrier for sickness. However, he noted that the COVID-19 pandemic is not transmitted via water sources.

Datuk Abdul Kadir assured that Malaysian water sources are safe at this moment; plus, rivers are largely cleaner during the Movement Control Order, aside from a few cases of pollutions brought upon by fisheries, At the time of broadcast, these pollution cases have been contained.

Following his introductory remarks, Datuk Abdul Kadir explained the role of MWA. MWA acts as a body for check and balance to the government as well as supporting government efforts to improve water sources in terms of treatment and supply. He explained that there are two aspects to water supply: quantity and quality. Water supply must be adequate and in good quality.

Another role of MWA is also to enhance awareness on appreciating water supply. Water may be given free by the Creator, but it is managed by entrusted water service providers.

In addition, MWA also conducts research on water, then provides knowledge sharing on the findings via forums. Also, MWA acts as a bridge between the public and private sector to inform on the issues faced by the local water industry.

Datuk Abdul Kadir mentioned a notable issue when it comes to Malaysia’s water supply: the cost of water. Compared to other countries, the cost of water in Malaysia is very low; Datuk Abdul Kadir believes that the cost of water needs to be revised to ensure the sustainability of water supply. Water management relies on three elements: holistic, transparency and sustainability, and sustainability is the goal of Malaysia’s water management.

In the session, the adequacy of the chlorination treatment applied to Malaysian water supply to remove any risks of COVID-19 being transmitted. Once Datuk Abdul Kadir reiterated that COVID-19 is not transmitted via water supply, he stated that the chlorine residual level of the national water supply has been increased from 0.2 to 0.5 mg/L according to WHO guidelines.

According to Datuk Abdul Kadir, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends between 0.2 mg/L to 0.5 mg/L of chlorine residual in chlorinated water supplies. However, in the event of cholera or an outbreak, WHO recommends 0.5 mg/L chlorine residual at app points in piped supply. This recommended level is still safe for human consumption.

The colour, smell, and taste of water are used to assess possibilities of contamination. Datuk Abdul Kadir went to explain that water is more complex to be assessed by these three elements alone.

Next, Datuk Abdul Kadir iterated that Malaysian treatment plants are required to produce water that meets standards by WHO or the Ministry of Health,

When asked about the causes of dirty water, Datuk Abdul Kadir provided some possible answers: it may be caused by sedimentation especially when water has been stagnant for a day or more. Also, pipe design may cause sedimentation to happen especially in the pipes that head down, forming what is known as sludge. Additionally, water that has been kept for some time in service reservoirs may also cause sedimentation. Consumers who reserve water in private tanks may also encounter sediments in their water. Therefore, he recommends cleaning water storage tanks every six months to a year.

The session then touches upon water pollution prevention actions. All industries seek to increase their profits; industrial waste, especially metals, need to be disposed of responsibly by sending it to centres like the Kualiti Alam Waste Management Centre in Bukit Nanas, Negeri Sembilan. However, industries seek to cut costs, hence disposes of industrial waste irresponsibly such as dumping into rivers or storing them underground. The latter method poses the threat of polluting groundwater sources.

Datuk Abdul Kadir presented several suggestions to improve water management in Malaysia, especially to regulate industrial water use. He calls for a stricter monitoring of all industrial waste disposal. Also, he proposed for all non-metal industries to have their wastewater be treated domestically; the water will be disposed of in the sewerage system to be treated by Indah Water Konsortium (IWK).

In addition, Datuk Abdul Kadir also recommended for industries to report to the Department of Environment or corresponding local authorities to identify the amount of waste disposed. He also proposed an environmental tax placed on all waste disposal, as these are indirectly causing water pollution.

In view of the rapid development of new industries, Datuk Abdul Kadir wants the local authorities to step up monitoring of the development of new industries. Law enforcement is relatively weak at the moment; the penalty imposed is small relative to what the industries make. More waste disposal centres need to be set up as well, preferably in every state.

A commonly observed phenomenon during the  MCO is that rivers in many places have shown significant improvements, thanks to the closure of several factories.

Datuk Abdul Kadir encourages the collection of river data by the relevant authorities to identify areas that will be affected the most when the MCO is lifted in the future.

Datuk Abdul Kadir elaborated on the major sources of water in Malaysia: rivers and underground water. He cited that Kelantan is a state that sources its water mostly from the latter source.

According to Datuk Abdul Kadir, underground water should be a reserve source of water. He stated that while rivers provide an adequate supply of water, it must be ensured that rivers are not polluted. He further stated that Malaysia has no issue with water quantity, but we need to ensure its highest quality for human consumption.

Datuk Abdul Kadir clarified that treatment plants should not be the only reason that the water supply is clean; the source of water itself needs to be clean so that its treatment is easier. He mentioned that in other countries, water catchment areas are gazetted and those who pollute the water surrounding the catchment area will face a high penalty. This ensures water quality is at its best from source to consumers.

The issue of subsidisation was brought up, and Datuk Abdul Kadir was asked why the water supply cannot be subsidised the way electricity can. He clarified that it is not feasible to provide subsidy for water in Malaysia. This is because Malaysia’s water tariff is one of the lowest compared to developed nations.

Moving forward, he mentioned a proposed review of the water tariff in April this year, but it was delayed in light of the change of government and the MCO due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Regardless of the current situation, water demand will still go on.

Datuk Abdul Kadir also noted that water supply in dams throughout the country is dwindling; states like Penang has requested for a cloud seeding to be carried out. He cited Singapore’s effort in making the whole island nation a water catchment area as a long-term sustainability measure for its national water supply. This effort took them 10 to 20 years. He calls for a similar effort to be made in Malaysia to ensure the sustainability of Malaysia’s water supply.

Next, Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Air Negara (SPAN) has set up a tariff setting mechanism based on capital expenditure (CAPEX) and operating expenditure (OPEX), in view of the inadequacy of the price of water. Without increasing tariffs as time progresses, it would not be sustainable for the water supply operators to manage water supply in the long run. He notes that especially in these difficult times brought about by the MCO, there will inevitably be more defaulters, which would not bid well for the water operators.