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The Water Department will monitor the supply to a Telipok neighbourhood to ensure that consumers there receive tap water.

This follows a complaint about the irregular supply to Taman Putera Perdana, with water only trickling from taps in homes here after midnight.

The residents said their supply vanished by morning and that this had been going on for close to a week.

A Department spokesman said there was a “technical issue” which had given rise to the water woes there.

“There was insufficient pressure in the water mains leading to the neighbourhood,” he said.

“This was caused in large part because the housing estate is situated towards the end of the distribution line.”

When asked if a pressure control valve might be installed along the supply line in the hopes of minimising the inconvenience caused by the lack of a supply there, he said the agency would consider this suggestion.

The Department’s staff checking the distribution pipes in another part of the neighbourhood.

Nevertheless, he admitted that the use of the valve wouldn’t completely do away with the water problems around the town.

The spokesman explained that the Department was facing an uphill task dealing with a shortage of tap water in “Northern region” of the State Capital.

Consequently, he said the agency had been forced to rationing the supply to the various residential and commercial properties in Telipok. “This exercise also involves consumers in Inanam and Manggatal as the demand for tap water in these areas has exceeded the output from the existing treatment plants.

“Those living and working here will find the supply to their premises reduced, or notice a drop in water pressure, from the late afternoon till midnight.

“Their supply will only return to normal in the wee hours after we have refilled the R17-reservoir and the water levels at the installation have increased.”

The spokesman said the falling water levels at the reservoir were to blame for these supply woes which those in the neighbourhood experienced for several days in the second week of July.

The spokesman said the agency hoped to stabilise the supply to this region by upgrading its Telibong 2 treatment plant.

“Phase 2 of the facility is tentatively expected to be complete in two year’s time.”

In the meantime, he advised the public to make allowance for those periods when they might be without a supply or find that the pressure of their tap water was weak.

“We advise the public to stock enough water for at least two days, when a supply is available in their respective areas.”

He said the Department’s staff would periodically check that a supply reached the neighbourhood.

“At the same time, we hope that the homeowners will inform us when their taps run dry so that action can be taken deal with these water woes as soon as possible.”

GIRI of Telipok bemoaned the erratic supply which he and his neighbours had been receiving in Taman Putera Perdana. He said a meagre amount of tap water was available after 11.30pm but vanished by 8am the following day.

“It is very inconvenient for me to carry out chores around the house, when the supply is so irregular,” he said.

“The prolonged water woes are especially trying given the current Movement Control Order, with almost all the residents confined to their homes.”

He said he had made multiple calls to the Department’s Care Line since July 4 when these water woes first began.

“The staff seem to be in the dark as to what is causing this problem.

Test was done to determine if a supply was reaching the complainant’s meter.

They either will not, or cannot, explain what has given rise to this problem. They also cannot  tell me roughly when I will get a normal supply.”

Giri felt it was unfair to service the rental on his water meter, considering the taps in his house were dry most of the time.

“What is the point in settling my bills promptly each month, when this problem has dragged on for so long? The resident provided Hotline with the location of his home, as well as the dates of the most recent disruptions. This information was forwarded to the Department.

The spokesman said its staff checked the distribution mains leading to the premises shortly after becoming aware of the consumer’s supply problems.

“At the time of this inspection, they found that the strength of the water in the pipes before his metre to be acceptable,” he said.

“They checked on the supply reaching a fire-hydrant in another part of the neighbourhood and discovered that the pressure was strong.”