Kota Kinabalu: Much of the processed water to be piped to consumers in Sabah is lost as Non-Revenue Water (NRW) due to leakages from old pipes that need to be replaced and because of pilferage besides other reasons like public apathy to report on pipe burst or leaks that faced past inaction from the authority.
This concerns the issue of proper water management besides proper maintenance of public infrastructure. The recent case of a Sabahan politician who lodged a police report on sabotage in the water supply in the district of Papar is just one of the examples where the public suffer from water supply woes.
It was apt that the Sabah Environmental Protection Association (Sepa) organised a forum titled: “Water: What’s Our Next Move?” on Nov 9 at the Kinabalu Daya Hotel saw the invited experts sharing their experiences and suggestions on how these matters could be addressed. Water is scarce and valuable and must be conserved.
There was a consensus from the forum that water access is a human right. International Water Association (IWA) member Datuk Ir Ts Gs Br PMr Dr Amarjit Singh told the audience what he did when he was the Director of the Sabah Water Department to mitigate public complaints on such matters.
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