The Sultan Ismail Water Treatment Plant (LRA) has been hampered in treating raw water for a portion of the district’s residents due to contamination caused by industrial effluents and sewage at Sungai Skudai.
The LRA Sultan Ismail, according to Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Ir. Haji Hasni Mohammad, could only treat about 53 million litres of water per day at first, despite having a capacity of 227.31 MLD.
“If there is a dry season, the Johor Bahru region and other areas that receive water from this treatment plant will receive scheduled water supplies,” he said.
Hasni said that initiatives involving various departments, such as the Johor Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) and the Department of Environment (DOE), as well as the local community, should be stepped up to ensure a higher water supply potential from Sungai Skudai, which is now classified as a class 3 river that could be treated for public use.
According to him, the Denai Sungai Kebangsaan or National River Trail project, which will run for four kilometers along Sungai Skudai and transform it into a recreational area, will ideally aid in river conservation efforts rather than being a white elephant.
“We need the collaboration of different organisations, such as the DID and the Department of Energy, to enhance the quality of the river water, which I believe is possible. Through these departments, the state government will continue to track and ensure that the river restoration programme is carried out successfully,” added Hasni.
From the foot of Bukit Sedenak in Kulai to the Johor Straits, the 46-kilometer Sungai Skudai runs through the Johor Bahru, Pulai, and Kulai parliamentary constituencies. This river is the main source of water from the LRA Sultan Ismail which supplies treated water to 163,250 consumers in the district of Johor Bahru.
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