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Water MalaysiaThe Malaysian Water Association (MWA)No. 24 Second Floor, Jalan Sri Hartamas 8, Taman Sri Hartamas, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA.Tel: +603 6201 2250/9521 Fax: +603 6201 5801 Website: www.mwa.org.my

MWA Council for 2013/2015 Session

PresidentIr. Syed Mohamed Adnan Alhabshi

Deputy PresidentIr. V Subramaniam

Vice PresidentsMr. Sutekno bin Ahmad BelonProf. Ir. Hj. Mohamed Haniffa bin Abdul Hamid

Immediate Past PresidentMr. Ahmad Zahdi bin Jamil

Hon. Secretary GeneralIr. Hj. Mohmad Asari bin Daud

Hon. Treasurer GeneralDato’ Ir. Hj. Zainal bin Bachik

Ordinary Council Members

Mdm. Amy YewIr. Zulkiflee bin Ab HamidIr. Beh Hong LinIr. Tham Yee KiongIr. Ong Guan HockIr. Lim Soon GuanMr. Mansor bin Abdul GhaniMr. Sofian bin SallehMr. Shaharis bin SaadMr. Mohamad Hairi bin BasriMr. Shamsul Fahmi bin Mohd PadzliProf. Dr. Zulkifli bin YusopDr. Norhayati binti Abdullah

Editorial Committee Members

Ir. Syed Mohamed Adnan AlhabshiIr. Ong Guan HockMr. Sofian SallehMr. Lee Koon YewMs. Rubby Mahmod

Cover PictureA montage news headlines (from the STAR) at the height of the Selangor Water Rationing from February to May 2014.

DisclaimerThe Malaysian Water Association (MWA) quarterly bulletin (“Water Malaysia”) is provided as a service to our members. The articles written by various authors and news from external sources are published in good faith for the benefit of our readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of MWA. Further, we give no assurance or warranty that the published information is current or accurate and take no responsibility for any losses or consequences arising from its transmittal through the bulletin.

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REGULARPresident’s Desk

COVER FEATUREAn end to the Selangor Water Saga? What is El Nino - and why should I care? SPECIAL FEATUREIn Memoriam - Dato’ Ir Kam U Tee, Recipient of 1994 MWA Award for Management

MWA ACTIVITIESOpening Address by KeTTHA Minister during Asiawater 2014 Expo and Forum

Event Review of The NRW Leadership Colloquium Sept 2014

EDUCATIONAL AND TRAININGCePSTPO - Introduction and Next Scheduled Course

FEATURED ARTICLES Upgrading of Klian Gunung Water Treatment Plant in Perak

IWK Capacity Building Initiatives Through the WOPs

Standard STP – Standardisation Strategy for Sewerage Industry in Malaysia

Adoption of a Green Approach in the Design of New Water Supply Pipeline

How Many People Get Proper Toilets in Asean?

TECHNOLOGY & WORLD FEATURESFinding Your Water Utility on the Financial Sustainability Ladder

POLICY AND REGULATION NEWS

INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERS’ NEWSTECHNOLOG of UK renews pact with Premier Water Services in Reducing NRW in Malaysia

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President’s Desk

Dear MWA Members and Readers,

On behalf of the MWA Council I would like to thank you for your support of recent events organised by MWA. The overwhelming response to the technical visits of the Pantai

Sewage Treatment Plant and the Meteorological Dept had motivated the Secretariat to organise more events for our members. On Friday 11 July 2014, the presentation on Hybrid Off River Augmentation System (HORAS) by LUAS at MWA office was a big draw for members and was another success. As seating places were limited, some of us had to stand throughout the presentation!

In the last few months, MWA was represented by Senior Council Members in recent regional events in Australia, Manila and Singapore. We were also represented at the South East Asian Water Utility Network (SEAWUN) Board meeting in Singapore. The Japan Water & Wastewater Association has invited me and the Secretary General to their first English speaking conference in Tokyo sometime in October this year. MWA is warming up to networking among water players in the region for the benefit of our members, and it is just a matter of our members tapping into the network established by MWA.

Some upcoming events to take note of for your active support and participation will be the Water Loss Asia 2014, coorganised by MWA and Protemp to be held from 2 to 4 September 2014 at the Royale Chulan. A highlight of the conference will be the NRW Leadership Colloquium. Another important conference will be the Borneo Water And Wastewater Exhibition and Conference 2014, also organized by MWA, to be held from 19 to 21 November 2014 in Miri, Sarawak. The theme will be Water Security and Sustainability. Hope to see many of you there at these two conferences!

Our website now has a fresh new look, which is more lively and vibrant. We hope to improve the website further to give our members better exposure to the local and international issues and events. Various ways are being considered and will be implemented in stages and members will be informed accordingly. We will continue to seek ways to add value to our members to improve their expertise, network and business opportunities.

The World Water Congress this year will be held in Lisbon, Portugal, from 21 September to 26 September 2014 and MWA is organising the ground arrangements for the visit to Lisbon for members. As places are limited please register early at MWA Secretariat to avoid disappointment. We will require your support to have a strong delegation at the Congress. It will be a great time to be in Europe as the weather will be pleasant in autumn.

MWA rejoices on the occasion of Tan Sri Dato’ Ir Syed Muhammad Shahabudin being bestowed with the second highest honorific title by the King for his great contribution to the nation.

The MWA Council welcomes Mr. Lee Koon Yew as the new Group Executive Director of MWA. Mr. Lee Koon Yew doesn’t need an introduction to the industry. He was a former Honorary Secretary General of MWA and has served the industry in many important positions for more than 30 years. A low profile and hard working person, we are confident that he will contribute effectively to the Secretariat and members of MWA.

To our Muslim readers and members, on behalf of the MWA Council, we wish you ‘Selamat Hari Raya, Maaf Zahir Batin’.

Last but not least, MWA would like to extend condolences to the families of the victims of MH17 tragedy.

SYED MOHAMED ADNAN ALHABSHIPresident

CongratulationsOur Heartiest Congratulations to

TAN SRI DATO’ IR. SYED MUHAMMAD SHAHABUDIN(President of The Malaysian Water Association from 1995 to 2007)

on being conferred the Darjah Kebesaran Panglima Setia Mahkota (P.S.M)

which carries the title “Tan Sri”

by SPB Yang di-Pertuan Agongon the occasion of His Majesty’s Official birthday on 7 June 2014.

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An end to the Selangor Water Saga?

On the other hand, 2014 can also be an indication of the coming on scene of the “water crisis” in Selangor – a

subject that has been hotly debated the past couple of years. Nothwithstanding this, many consumers are holding on to the promise dry taps would never happen again after the bad experiences in the massive water rationing in March and April 2014 in the Klang Valley. In perspective, these two events had certainly put the water woes in Selangor firmly in the spotlight - amidst high hopes for a quick end to all the uncertainties. To help readers understand essentially “what is what?” in following the unfolding development of the events in the coming months, here’s a quick look at some highlights surrounding the Selangor water supply, extracted from various sources, including the STAR and the SUN dailies.

RESTRUCTURING OF SELANGOR’S WATER SERVICES

The MOU

On 26 February 2014, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the federal government and the Selangor state government was initialled. This was seen by many as a step towards the resolution of the Selangor water assets takeover saga which has gone on since 2008 for at least five years.

A joint statement by KeTTHA and the Selangor Mentri Besar’s Office issued on 22 May 2014 said: “In line with the terms of the MoU, the federal government through the

Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water (KeTTHA) shall now pursue the exercise of its rights and powers under the Water Services Industry Act 2006 (WSIA to assist the state government in implementing the proposed restructuring and consolidation of the Selangor water supply industry. This includes invoking Section 114 of WSIA in order to address

issues of national interest to ensure security, sustainability and viability of the water supply industry in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.”

Under the MoU, the Selangor government will give its approval to the federal government within 30 days from the date the MoU was signed the go-ahead for the construction of the Langat 2 Water Treatment Plant and its distribution.

On 16 April 2014, it was announced that the Langat 2 WTP worth RM993.88 million was awarded to a consortium by Pengurusan Aset Air Bhd (PAAB). On 16 May 2014, the federal government announced its decision to postpone the enforcement of Section 114 of the Water Services Industry Act 2006 (WSIA) as there is no need to enforce it on Selangor’s water utility firms, confirming the latest development when three out of four concessionaires had accepted the takeover by the state government. On 30 July 2014, the state and federal governments had signed Heads of Agreement for a long term solution to the Selangor water issue.

The Takeover Offer

The parties involved are Puncak Niaga, Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Syabas), Abass which is 55% controlled by Kumpulan Perangsang Selangor Bhd (KPS) Splash with 40% Gamuda and the rest of equity evenly split between Kumpulan Perangsang Selangor Bhd and The Sweet Water

Alliance Sdn Bhd.

Except for Syabas, all of these companies operate plants that process treated water for seven million residents of Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya. Syabas manages the supply and distribution network.

The price tags for PNSB and Syabas was RM2.47bil and RM3.11bil respectively, Abass at RM990mil. Gamuda has rejected the latest offer as it claimed the equity payment for Splash was only RM250 million, which it said was 10% of its net book value of RM2.54 billion as at end-Dec 2013.

This means that only Syarikat Pengeluar Air Sungai Selangor Bhd (Splash) – a 40%-owned associate of Gamuda Bhd – has not agreed to the takeover terms.

Restructuring to ProceedThe Sun reported on 22 May 2014 Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim announced that the state is proceeding with the proposed water restructuring exercise, now that three of the four concessionaires have agreed to it. The concessionaires that accepted the state government’s terms to restructure

It has been a long time coming, but 2014 is beginning to look like the year that the restructuring of the water services in Selangor will finally make their breakthrough.

The bigger picture – Looking at Water Issues in their Context

Compiled by Lee Koon Yew

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the water industry were Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas), Puncak Niaga, and Abass Konsortium. The other concessionaire, Splash is for now, still holding out.

With the invocation of the Section 114 of the WSIA postponed, Selangor now will continue with the due diligence needed to restructure the water industry in the state with the respective water players that have accepted the offer with Kumpulan Darul Ehsan Bhd (KDEB). Selangor will also discuss for the sale and re-lease of water assets with the Federal Government and Pengurusan Aset Air Bhd (PAAB). This is moving towards an asset light model that will allow companies to focus on improving efficiency and cost effectiveness regulated by SPAN. The best outcome is a scheme which is a win-win for all, i.e, fair water tariffs with reasonable returns to operators.

In conjunction with this, a joint statement mentioned that

the Selangor and the Federal Government believed that the plan to continue with the water industry restructuring effort in the state with the takeover of the three concession holders is heading towards the right directions to improve the treated water supply services in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.

In this regard the Selangor government expects to be firmly in control of all aspects of the water industry in the state by year’s end. KDEB will play a big role in the way water is sourced, treated and distributed in Selangor.

So, finally, is the long-winded water restructuring saga in Selangor since 2008 poised to end amicably? Following the restructuring exercise, will the state government able to solve industry problems now under the concessionaires’ jurisdiction, such as the high level of non-revenue water which currently stands at 35%? Or will the progress of the restructuring be stalled due to currents events that had cropped up, including politics?

ADDRESSING WATER DEFICIT ISSUES

Supply and Demand

The average supply and demand situation in December 2013 (Ref: MWIG 2014) based on total available capacity that is distributable and average daily production (or Demand) with allowances for NRW are Total Available Distributable Capacity : 4781 MLD; Average Daily Production : 4563 MLD with Reserve Margin of 4.6 % (218 MLD). This is a thin buffer to cater to situations of seasonal nature such as variation during weekends, holidays, festive periods; major pipe burst leading to substantial loss of water; recovery after a supply failure/scheduled interruption and hot and dry season. In a normal planning for a water supply system, generally, a 10 to 15% buffer are the norm, which includes covering events like climate change and prolonged dry spell or unexpected high rainfall affecting raw water quality due to high turbidity, pollution of water sources, unexpected shut-down due to equipment breakdown, etc. It was reported that some major WTPs are also operating on overload. The Selangor situation seems to become rather grim without this comfortable reserve margin and buffer as is the case.

To bridge the shortfall or to increase the existing reserve to an acceptable level, the last two years saw the completion of some mitigation projects such as the restoration of SSP1 project (190mld), in-line booster pumping from BRH treatment plants (25mld), and KLIA Water Supply project (105mld) which had been completed. The State Government has also proposed that reducing NRW, rainwater harversting and additional sources from lakes and ponds. However, what is needed is to quickly put in place the long term plan to ensure water for the future is secure, reliable and sustainable in terms of quality, quantity and at the right price.

Hence, the main issues currently faced in Selangor are, from the technical viewpoint, the constraints both in available water resources and production capacities. This has contributed to the water stressed situation today which will deteriorate if no mitigating measures are taken while waiting for the completion of the Langat II Water Treatment Plant. With the current very low reserve capacity and the expected continued growth in demand, the prospect of facing insufficient water supply and intermittent disruption is there.

Water Tunnel to Function SoonerThe federal government has proposed that the 44.6km-long tunnel, a vital part of the Pahang-Selangor Raw Water Transfer Project, be set to function sooner than expected to resolve the water crisis in Selangor. Raw water from Sungai Semantan will be diverted into the tunnel and channelled into Sungai Langat for treatment in seven existing plants. The raw water from Pahang will be processed at the three treatment plants at Sungai Langat before it can be distributed.

The tunnel, which is almost completed, was originally designed to channel water directly to the Langat 2 water treatment plant, delayed by three years now. The proposed use of the tunnel reflects the urgent action the federal government realises is needed to ease the burden of 6.7 million consumers in Selangor, Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur since February. According to the building plan, the tunnel is supposed to be able to transfer up to 1,890 million litres of raw water daily (MLD).

It was reported The federal government has set aside RM5mil to build a 1.5 km pipeline from the end of the Pahang-Selangor Raw Water Transfer project tunnel in Langat Selangor to the Sungai Langat in preparation for the impending El Nino phenomenon. Some 500 mld of raw

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water will be channelled after the tunnel is cleaned up on July 30.

Is Rationing Necessary?

The last water rationing in March and April 2014 affected 722,032 households or 3.6 million people. In the coming

months, water disruptions and rationing may recur because the dry spell had caused water levels to fall in all seven dams,

which supplied water to consumers in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya. The levels of the Sungai Selangor and Klang Gates dams on 9 July 2014 have fallen to 41.22% and 75.63% respectively (Ref LUAS). The Sungai Selangor and Sungai Tinggi dams supply water to the Rantau Panjang, Rasa, and Sungai Selangor Phase 1, 2 and 3 treatment plants. These WTP produce 2,900 MLD (million litres per day) to 60% of consumers in the Klang Valley.

There is a likelihood rationing may happen as the water levels at the dams were still low. According to a seasoned water operator, water rationing is done to avoid rapid depletion of supplies despite availability of a certain amount of water at dams. “The authorities need to carry out rationing so as not to deplete supply until dams become dry.” He said it was better to have water throughout the drought season with proper planning rather than no water at all.

Steps need to be taken to increase public awareness and education so that they are prepared for reduction in water demand and water conservation. If those responsible do not plan the water supply and if the dry season continues, then one could be faced with a catastrophe.

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What is El Niño — and why should I care?In the light of several news account of El Nino to be experienced by Malaysia that has caused some concern, particularly to our agriculture and water supply sectors, here is an abridged article by Brad Plumer, senior editor, Vox Media online, to keep us informed of the phenomena that is predicted to affect our country.

El Niño is a complex weather phenomenon that occurs irregularly in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean every two

to seven years. When the trade winds that typically blow from east to west in this region weaken, sea surface temperatures in the east and central tropical Pacific start rising.

Now the odds are rising that El Niño will return in mid- to late 2014. And early signs suggest that it has the potential to be a really strong one this time — possibly along the lines of that big 1997-98 event.

How does El Niño work, exactly?Let’s start by looking at things normally work in the Pacific Ocean, and then look at how things change during an El Niño (or a La Niña):

1) Neutral conditions: Normally, the tropical Pacific Ocean features strong trade winds that blow from east to west (see picture below).

THE PACIFIC OCEAN NORMALLY HAS STRONG TRADE WINDS THAT BLOW EAST TO WEST

As those trade winds blow west, they bring ocean water with them, which gets heated up by the sun. That warm water piles up in the western Pacific. Meanwhile, back east along South America, frigid water deep down in the ocean gets pulled up closer to the surface — cooling the eastern region.

End result: Normally, sea levels are about half a meter higher in Indonesia than they are in South America. Sea surface temperatures in the west are also about 8°C (or 14.4°F) warmer. That gradient difference creates a convective loop that, in turn, reinforces the trade winds.

Because the Pacific is so vast, this system is a major driving force in the global climate system — that large warm pool of water in the west causes the air above it to rise, creating rainfall. And this set-up shapes the jet streams that guide weather and storms around the world:

Normal conditions in the Pacific Ocean2) El Niño: Now here’s the twist. Every now and again, however, for reasons that are still being debated, those Pacific trade winds can get disrupted.

BUT EVERY SO OFTEN, THOSE TRADE WINDS

WEAKEN, LEADING TO EL NIÑOWhen that happens, all that warm water that was piled up in

the west starts sloshing back toward the east, pulled back down by gravity. What’s more, the underwater layer known as the thermocline starts sinking. That means there’s less cold water rising up from the deep ocean near South America — and that region warms.

As a result, the trade winds weaken further, and sea surface temperatures in the east and central Pacific start rising:

El Niño conditions in the Pacific Ocean

This shift has all sorts of knock-on effects: For one, rainfall starts following that warm pool of water as it travels east. That’s why El Niño is usually associated with drier weather in places like Indonesia and Australia, as well as heavier rains in places like Peru.

Meanwhile, during an El Niño, the warmer tropical waters transfer heat into the atmosphere, which can raise global average surface temperatures. The strong 1997-98 El Niño, combined with global warming, helped push global temperatures in 1998 to new highs. (The next record came in 2005, after a weaker El Niño.)

How often does El Niño happen?Every two to seven years, on average.Here’s how El Niño and La Niña have alternated since 1882 — as the chart shows, some years have stronger episodes, some years have weaker ones, some years nothing happens. It’s hard to discern any predictable pattern:

The two strongest El Niño events in the past 150 years occurred in 1982-83 and 1997-98. These are sometimes referred to as “super” El Niños. See Graph 1.

What sort of weather impacts does El Niño have?An El Niño can have vast and far-reaching effects around the world. A lot depends on what kind of El Niño occurs , but here are some of the broad global impacts:

Flooding in South America: Warmer water in the Eastern

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Will El Niño push global temperatures to new highs?Possibly — if we get a strong El Niño, that could conceivably combine with global warming to make 2014 or 2015 the hottest years on record. But it depends on a few things.

First : Thanks to man-made global warming, average temperatures on the Earth’s surface have been rising over time. But there’s a fair bit of fluctuation within that upward trend. El Niño years tend to be a bit hotter, La Niña years tend to be a bit cooler.

This chart from NASA offers a good visualization of the situation:NASAAll the greenhouse gases that humans have put into the

atmosphere tend to trap heat at the Earth’s surface and warm the planet over time. But more than 90 percent of that extra heat is absorbed by the oceans. So subtle interactions between the ocean and the atmosphere can make a big difference for surface temperatures.

During La Niña events, more of that heat is trapped beneath the ocean surface. When a strong El Niño hits, more of that heat is essentially transferred to the surface. That’s why the Earth’s average surface temperatures reached new highs in 1998 — due to the combination of global warming and an extremely strong El Niño. Then, in 2005, surface temperatures reached another new high, thanks to continued global warming (and the end of a much weaker El Niño).

So it’s possible that a strong El Niño in 2014 — when combined with global warming — could cause 2014 or 2015 to be the warmest year on record.

But a lot depends on when the El Niño actually starts: the spike in global surface temperatures typically lags the spike in Pacific Ocean by a few months. So if El Niño arrives in late 2014, then 2015 will probably be the hot year. It also depends on what type of El Niño arrives: an El Niño that spreads across the full Pacific Ocean is more likely to push up global temperatures than a “Modoki” event that’s limited to the central Pacific.

Pacific typically brings heavier rain and flooding to South America. Peru and Ecuador typically get hit with storms and floods, as well as cholera epidemics and other waterborne diseases.

Drought in Indonesia and Australia: As the warm pool of water in the west starts drifting eastward, rainfall travels with it, increasing the odds of drought and fires in places like Indonesia and Australia.

Wetter winters in California and the Southwest: A strong El Niño could bring heavier rainfall to California and the southwestern US in the winter. But there are twists here — a medium-sized El Niño or “Modoki” event might not bring that much rain to California. Given that the state is currently in a severe drought, this is an important question.

Declining fisheries: In normal conditions, the upwelling of cold water from the deep ocean off the coast of South America churns up plenty of nutrients that make those fisheries some of the most productive in the world. But during El Niño, that supply of nutrient-rich water from the deep ocean is cut off, causing these fisheries to decline.

More hurricanes in the Pacific, fewer in the Atlantic: The warmer waters in the Pacific typically provide more energy for hurricanes there, affecting places like Mexico or the Cook Islands or even Hawaii.

By contrast, El Niño is usually associated with relatively fewer hurricanes in the Atlantic. One hypothesis is that El Niño brings stronger winds to the upper atmosphere of the Atlantic that can shear apart (some) tropical storms before they can get too strong.

Higher global temperatures: During an El Niño, the warmer tropical waters in the Pacific can transfer their energy to the atmosphere. When combined with man-made global warming, this can push global average surface temperatures to new highs. But, again, this may depend on the type of El Niño we get.

Will El Niño return in 2014?It’s looking increasingly likely.An El Niño officially occurs when sea surface temperatures in the southern Pacific rise 0.5°C above their historical average. Right, now, temperatures just beneath the surface are rising fast, and many forecasters are raising the odds of an El Niño in 2014.

Here’s the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: “the chances of El Niño increase during the remainder of the year, exceeding 50% by summer.” Forecasters are now predicting a nearly 80 percent chance of El Niño by September:

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In Memoriam – Dato’ Ir. Kam U Tee

Snippets from acceptance speech by the late Dato’ Kam U Tee

Dato’ Ir. Kam U Tee, former General Manager of Penang Wa-ter Authority (Pihak Berkuasa Air) from 1973 – 1990 passed

away peacefully on 21 March 2014. In its tribute to Dato’ Kam U Tee, PBA Pulau Pinang placed on record in the newspaper obituary “We honour the memory of a leader who set us off on the journey to excellence in Penang Water Supply.”

MWA also place on record the Association’s appreciation to a great water professional who had served in MWA Council from 1989/1991 Session and had contributed tremendously to PBA development in particular and water supply in Malaysia in general. In the following pages, we reproduce the snippets from acceptance speech of Dato’ Kam U Tee, being the first recipient of MWA Award for Management 1994.

MWA AWARD FOR MANAGEMENT1994 RECIPIENT – DATO’ KAM U TEEThe Inaugural Award for year 1994 was accorded to Dato’ Kam U Tee for his immense contribution, while serving as General Manager of Penang Water Authority (PWA) from year 1973 to 1990 towards the promotion and advancement of the science and practice of engineering in the water supply industry through management.

Some of his noteworthy management contributions have been in:

• Initiating the development of the first successful comput-erised water billing system in Malaysia in year 1974 and

extending this to cover a multiple department joint payment collection system.

• Management of repairs and control of leakage that has led the PWA to have the lowest NRW of 20% (1994) in the country.

• Successfully carrying out upgrading of the existing Sg. Dua Filtration Plant by in-house design and experimentations from a capacity of 140 MLD to a final capacity of 320 MLD.

• Commercialisation of its accounting system to enable PWA to function efficiently and profitably as a business venture.

• Managing PWA efficiently and thus making public water supplies in the State of Penang, to-date the cheapest in the country and with sufficient profits.

On The deteriorating quality of water sources…..

As demand grows, we are forced to go further and further downstream for sources of water.

Concurrently, we are looking into the need to tap water from further and further sources from our cities. The prospect of transport of water over distances of 100 km is a growing reality. It requires about 0.4 Kwhr of electric energy to raise water through 100 metres. At RM 0.18 per Kwhr, this translates to energy costs of 7 cents per metre cube of water. This is our present cost. The prospect of this becoming 20 cents is near.

On The need for design accountability…..

The need to balance such costs against more sophisticated costs of treating local water will need to be made. Capital costs will also increase. It used to be, that in order to build each million

gallons or 4,500 metre cube of treatment capacity, only RM 1 million capital outlay is required. A few years ago, figures of RM 3 million were used as estimates. Presently, some estimates begin to creep beyond these. Some form of accountability is required, considering the social content of infra-structure supply.

On The “Free Water Supply” mindset…..

Where this mind-set still holds sway, the opposite evil prevails - the consumer looses accountability to society in general, for the goods he consumes. Wasteful use means that consumption outstrips capacity, revenues generated are scarcely able to pay for salaries, let alone maintenance and renewals. Shortages prevail; water becomes available a few hours each two or three days. Since, in the end, the rich can find means to overcome such shortages, the poor for whom the low charges have been made are sufferers.

Dato’ Leo Moggie, Hon. Minister of Works presents inaugural MWA Award for Management 1994 to Dato’ Ir. Kam U Tee

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On Pay as you use; A commercial perspective…..

Only “a pay as you use” policy can restore accountability for the user and replenish the coffers of the water vendor. Money is needed to maintain and refurbish graying utilities, not only in developing countries, but also in developed countries.

Water is commodity. Charges are levied for transferring it across political boundaries, costs are incurred for treatment to stringent standards; charges should therefore be levied against users. After all, what other commodity does it cost less than one ringgit per tonne, to deliver to one’s doorstep, available at the touch of the finger.

On Increasing Private Sector Participation is not a cure all…..

In promoting this idea, there has been a tendency for private en-trepreneurs to claim that only the private sector can be efficient.

What has been overlooked is the cost of private money. The public sector has been used to borrowing money at 5% to 10% per annum. Private sector investors need to calculate the risks of investment, and to factor such risks into their calculated returns. Tragically, in poorer countries, risks are deemed to be high, and returns of 15% to 25% have been factored in. The resultant costs are extremely high. We should be careful that developing countries who are now railing against 10% IMF money do not fall into a trap of hocking their citizens’ future to usurious lending rates.

On The need to secure cheaper money…..

Clearly, both the public sector and private sector must cooperate to minimize risks and to make cheap money available to utilities.

It can also be claimed, that provided they are well managed, utilities are gilt edged securities for investment. They are not subject to economic fluctuations, nor can they be bankrupted by fluctuating prices.

In this regard, the quest for cheap money can be carried out with more imagination and compassion.

On The bottom line should be cheaper water…..

Efficiencies and cost effectiveness may not mean the same thing, but the bottom line is there must be cheaper water for Asia’s growing urban population.

On Use of Performance Parameters…..

Derivation of agreed upon parameters for measuring perfor-mances of waterworks must be developed, and used to compare one utility against another. For easy comparison, such param-eters must be based upon unit costs, such as cost per metre cube as sold or cost of energy per metre cube as produced at filtration plants or by comparing productivity per worker, such as number of metre cube produced per worker per day.

On Openness and accountability; Comparisons and competition…..

Openness should be mandatory and annual reports should include analysis, which could then be used for management audits.

Accountability, comparisons and competitive management audits; these should be the tools used to counter the stultifying effects of natural monopolies.

This should be the management vision of the water industry, going into the 21st century.

Career:

Graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons.)

University of Malaya in 1976. Started work as a civil engi-neer in 1976 with the Pahang Tenggara Development Au-thority or DARA, and rose to become the Deputy Direc-tor of Technical Services in DARA in 1983 responsible for planning and implementa-tion of development projects which include roadworks, water reticulation and sewer-

age works. Other appointments include as senior executive engineer in Public Works Department in Pahang and as Senior Assistant Director at PWD HQ Water Supply Branch in 1992 and later served as Deputy Director in the same department until March 2004.

With the formation of the new Ministry of Energy, Water and Communications Malaysia March 2004, he was transferred to the new Federal Water Supply Department as the Director of

New Group Executive Director of MWAWater Supply Planning and Development, responsible for water resources planning, privatization, water supply development budget and contracts supervision. He then became the Direc-tor General of the Water Supply Department in the Ministry of Energy, Water and Communications from 2006 to 2007.

Upon his retirement from the Department, he was appointed the Executive Director of the Water Regulatory Department, National Water Services Commission or SPAN where he served until 2012. Other experiences include as a Board Member of Indah Water Konsortium from 2006 to 2007; the Hon. Secretary General of Malaysian Water Association from 1997 to 2005 as well as the President of the South East Asian Water Utilities Network (SEAWUN) based in Hanoi from 2006 to 2010. He has frequently represented his department, MWA and SEAWUN in presenting technical and policy papers at both national and international water forum.

Current Appointment in MWA effective 5 May 2014:As Group Executive Director – to lead the MWA Secretariat and MWA Group of Companies, i.e. Malaysian Water Academy (MyWA), Malaysian Water Management Sdn Bhd (MWM) and Malaysian Water Research Sdn Bhd (MWR).

10 WaterMalaysia

MWA Activities

Council Members facing the members at 26th AGM

Overall view of the STP

Post-AGM Talk by AKSB

Q & A time at the AGM

MWA delegates at the plant

Lunch together

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MWA Activities

Workshop in progress

Delegates with MetMalaysia officers

Briefing by MWA to Korean visitors

MWA participants with certificate of attendance

Briefing at the Earthquake and Tsunami operation room

Photo session together

12 WaterMalaysia

MWA Activities

ASIA WATER 201419 – 21 March 2014, KLCC

Asian Countries Presentation chaired by MWA Immediate Past President

YB Datuk Seri Panglima Dr.Maximus Johnity Ongkili, Minister of KeTTHA delivering his opening speech

Official Opening by YB Minister of KeTTHA

Tour of the exhibition by Minister and his en-tourage

Good old golf trick!

Exchange of signed MoU by MWA President and AWA CEO

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MWA Activities

Opening remarks by Perbadanan Putrajaya

Presentation by Director of Lembaga Urus Air Selangor, Tn. Hj. Md Khairi Selamat

Q & A session

Participants’ group photo

INTRODUCTION TO INTEGRATED LAKE BASIN MANAGEMENT COURSE 26 – 29 May 2014, UKM, Bangi

TECHNICAL TALK ON HYDRAULIC OFF-RIVER AUGMENTATION SYSTEM (HORAS)11 JULY 2014

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MWA Activities

The eight edition of Asiawater 2014 Expo and Conference was successfully held at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre

in the first half 2014.As one of the most important exhibitions and forums of

Asia, the event turned out to be another record breaking suc-cess, attracting 726 global water industry professionals from 42 countries to the region’s leading water and waste-water industry event premieres. ASIAWATER 2014 provided a good platform to global industry players to tap into Asian market particularly the Asean Economic Community (AEC) which has huge population of some 600M.

Tuan SYED MOHAMED ADNAN ALHABSHI as the Presi-dent of Malaysia Water Association (MWA) in his address at the Opening Ceremony extended warm greetings to the participants of the Asia Water 2014 Conference, exhibitors, visitors to the Asia Water EXPO 2014 and said,” MWA is pleased to play an active role in providing an ideal platform to gather all the water and wastewater industry players for them to discuss on issues at hand for common benefit. The fundamental science, innovative research, policies and solutions to challenges faced by water professionals worldwide are expected to be the relevant factors or demands in the coming years. Hence the Asia Water 2014 Conference is themed “Building on Innovative and Sustainable Partnerships in Water” which is in line with MWA’s increasing focus on water and wastewater issues in emerging economics.

I am also pleased that Asia Water 2014 Conference and Asia Water EXPO 2014 is organised in Malaysia in line with our mission to promote synergy and enhance knowledge and good practice within Malaysian water and wastewater industries to enable them to achieve their corporate goals and hence con-tributing effectively towards creating national competitiveness and success.”

In the Welcome remark by Tan Sri Dato’ Dr Ahmad Mustaffa Babjee, Chairman of UBM ASEAN, he said, “Asia Water 2014 is an ideal water trade show for the water industry players to strengthen business ties, explore new business opportuni-ties across the region and discover the latest technology and equipment. In addition, participants will get the opportunity for valuable consultations and exchange information with industry leaders and experts”. He observed a moment of silence for the victims of MH370.

Asiawater Expo & Conference was declared open by the Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water. He subse-quently toured the exhibition booths at the convention centre, located in the modern city centre of Kuala Lumpur.

Asiawater 2014 at the Convention Centre attracted some

13,170 visitors from 48 countries—making Asia Water 2014 one of the largest and globally attended edition. The 8th edition of the event has brought together policy makers, industry leaders, experts, and practitioners to address challenges, showcase new technologies, discover opportunities and share experiences in the areas of municipality water and sewerage, industrial wastewater, bottled water, irrigation and the water resource management industries.

Running in conjunction with Asia Water 2014 Expo and Conference was 3rd Edition of ASIA WATER RESOURCE (AWARE 2014) Conference Programme with key speakers from Asean countries addressing the issues on water resource management. The conference was held at Mandarin Oriental Hotel situated next to the KL Convention Centre and officiated by Y.B. Datuk Seri G. Palanivel, Minister for Natural Resources and Environment Malaysia.

OPENING ADDRESS BY MINISTER

In the opening address by Y.B Datuk Seri Panglima Dr. Maximus Johnity Ongkili, J.P, The Minister of Energy, Green Technology & Water Malaysia (KeTTha), pointed out “the next war is on water” as prophesised in the 007 James Bond movies. The following is an excerpt from the KeTTha’s Minister’s speech.

Water - Our Nation’s Precious Assets

“Water is our most precious natural resource. It is vital to the people’s life, an essence to the environment and is crucial to the economic development of any country. At present, the nation’s precious assets, in particular the river basins and catchment areas as the main raw water resource are the most threatened habitats and continue to be polluted by industry, agriculture and urban development.

Therefore, the protection and preservation of the precious assets should not be left to the authorities alone. It is everyone’s duty. As we are well aware, the world is facing the challenge of a water crisis and this topic has been well debated at international fora in the context of the energy-water-food nexus.

In fact, some nations are already suffering from lack of water due to global warming and climate change. It is a slow process and takes years before its impact is felt and its effects are mostly localised.

On the other hand, the trend towards urbanisation is ac-celerating as more than half of the Earth’s population already lives in the cities. As projected by the United Nations, the world’s population will reach 9 billion, with 70% expected to live in the cities by the year 2050.

Increasing global population, rapid urbanisation and emerg-ing economies continue to put a strain on water resources. As cities grow and urbanise, the search for water security becomes more crucial. Thus, serious actions must be taken to restore and protect this finite and irreplaceable natural resource to ensure its sustainability.

Importance of Water Resources Planning

The issue of decreasing quality and quantity of water resources is a global phenomenon, and Malaysia is feeling its impact now.

Review of Asiawater 2014 Expo and Conference

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MWA Activities

Our country’s water resources are currently under threat of depletion, pollution and climate change. With steady increases in demand for water supply over the years, the urgency to resolve this issue has become more paramount.

Realising the importance of water resources planning, a comprehensive study on national water resources for the year 2000 to 2050 was prepared by the Economic Planning Unit (EPU). In 2009, the Report on The National Water Resources Study (2000-2050) prepared by the EPU was reviewed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE).

Subsequent to this revision, in 2012, the Ministry then launched a national policy framework on water resources called the National Water Resources Policy (NRWP). This NRWP framework is a very useful guide for us to protect and preserve our water resources throughout the country.

Although Malaysia is generally blessed with an abundance of water resources, the rainfall trend had changed as can be seen in the case of the Sungai Selangor River Basin. The Basin used to enjoy adequate rainfall to fill up the reservoirs, enough for the rest of the year. However, the amount of rainfall had dropped significantly in year 2013. As of March 19, 2014, the water storage in Sungai Selangor dam was only 38.82% and is reducing daily. I have a daily report at 2pm.

As a result, the reservoirs upstream of Sungai Selangor are no longer able to regulate the river yield during prolonged dry season. The occurrence in the Sungai Selangor Basin is also felt in the river basins in the other states like Johor and Negeri Sembilan.

Since there is an urgent need to ensure enough raw water in the river basins, I would like to urge the state governments and authorities managing the respective water resources to make references to the NRWP so that adequate measures as recommended by this framework are being addressed and implemented.

I would also like to call upon local authorities, planners, developers, consultants and contractors to use the NRWP as inputs and considerations in their development plans, especially for projects sited in the river basins, water sources and catch-ment areas.

Long Term Solutions to Address Water Issues

Besides urging the state governments and authorities to man-age and protect their respective water resources, the Federal Government is also looking at long-term solutions to address the water shortage in some areas in the country. One of them being considered is the planting-up of water infrastructure that allows for shared water resources across the states.

In the Ninth Malaysia Plan, the Government had approved an Interstate Raw Water Transfer Project from the Sungai Seman-tan Basin in Pahang to Hulu Langat in Selangor to address the water sources shortage in the Klang Valley and Southern Selan-gor. The raw water that is transferred through a 44.6 kilometres tunnel across the Titiwangsa Main Range will be treated by a newly built water treatment plant, famously known as Langat 2.

With additional raw water sources up to 1,890 MLD from the Sungai Semantan Basin, we will be able to reinforce water security in the State of Selangor and the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya. The completion of the Langat 2 treatment plan in the late 2017 will boost up the reserve margin to 12 percent.

From our experience in implementing this Interstate Raw Water Transfer Project, the involvement and cooperation of both states are very crucial to the success of such a major project. In Malaysia, water resources and land are under the purview of the state governments.

Therefore, the first big step that needs to be ironed out before the Federal Government can agree and decide on any interstate water transfer projects is for the supplying and receiving states to get an agreement on the terms and conditions of the raw water transfer. Next to it is to secure the sites and approvals from relevant authorities to put up the required infrastructure and facilities.

Finally, apart from appointing capable consultants and con-tractors, we need to engage closely with the project affected groups or communities to smoothen the project implementation.

Although the inter-basin and interstate water resources transfer is the solution to overcome water shortage in certain populated areas, I must say that we have to exhaust other environmental-friendly solutions first before embarking on any such project. Hence, we ought to look for other suitable solutions in meeting the rising demand for clean water.

Moving along this continuum, today, we have started to see the philosophy of water management in this country has gradu-ally shifted from a project-based management to a resource-oriented management. In this regard, it is imperative to uphold the principle of harmonious coexistence between man and nature by balancing the needs for the conservation and protec-tion of water resources, optimising limited funding and fulfilling the growing demand for water.

Water Demand Management

Furthermore, the increased demand for clean water has led to competition in water use among the various sectors. The con-tinued economic growth compounded by creeping urbanisation, as well as changes in lifestyle, demographic structure and rising standards of living will magnify this even more acutely.

Moreover, the possible effects of climate change increase further the uncertainty in security of water supply. Meeting this demand from existing resources is evidently an uphill struggle, particularly in water stressed and water scarce areas.

Typically, the water players will come forward with two po-tential responses, either ‘supply-side’, that is meeting demand with new resources or ‘demand side’ which is managing demand itself to postpone or avoid the need to develop new resources. The ‘business as usual’ approaches towards water supply in the cities by addressing “shortage” with new sources, in my opinion, is no longer sustainable.

There is considerable pressure from the general public and regulatory authorities to minimise the impact of new supply projects such as building new reservoirs and interstate transfer schemes, implying the emphasis should be more on utilising the water that is already available. Therefore, the new approach that we need to adopt is that of proper water demand manage-ment which focuses on conservation measures to make better use of water.

Water demand management involves the adoption of poli-cies, strategic management and investment by water utilities to achieve efficient water use by all segments of users. A demand management plan may include a wide range of measures such as cost-reflective pricing, accurate metering, prompt reticulation leakage detection and repair programmes.

The measures also include pressure reduction, communi-cation strategy with community education campaign, customer advisory services by the regulatory agencies including use of incentives for installation and retrofitting of water-efficient equip-ment, effective regulation on water efficiency using appliances especially in new buildings and use of reclaimed water such as wastewater and grey water to reduce the need for fresh water supplies.

Thus, I urge the regulator and water players to examine

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MWA Activities

these measures and make them mandatory components of their respective business plans.

Alternative Sources and Green Technology

One area that we have to tap the potential is reusing wastewater effluents as an alternative water resource to cope with increasing demand. Water recycling and alternative water resources are essential for sustainable water management. I strongly believe that wastewater effluents will become an asset and a potential resource for water supply in the near years to come.

Therefore, recovery of these precious resources and turn-ing these by-products into a precious asset will be one of our Ministry’s main agenda in restructuring the Malaysian sewerage services industry.

Another important aspect that is neglected is rainwater harvesting. Rainwater harvesting is an innovative alternative water supply system that captures and stores rainwater for various non-potable purposes such as landscape uses, storm water control, agriculture and livestock watering. I hope more property developers will install rainwater harvesting system to reduce demand on the existing water supplies.

As part of the nation’s green technology drive, treating pol-lution rather than tackling its root causes may not be seen as a good initiative. Hence, it is time for the stakeholders to come out with a “green-blueprint” for water to set the remarkable steps towards sustainable water.

This “green blueprint” may incorporate all aspects and actions needed to achieve sustainable water, from as simple as using just enough water to effluent reuse, protecting water catchment areas to fair pricing of water so that the water bills truly reflect the amount of water used, be it domestic or industry.

It is also important to identify suitable methods and tech-niques to improve the quality of life and environment through an effective and efficient water management including aspects of safety and security of supply. I am excited to learn more about new innovative tools and technologies for alternative water re-sources creation and management through this ASIAWATER 2014 Exhibition.

Conclusion

I am confident that this event of international repute and tailored towards the needs of the developing nations, will bring Malaysia to become a hub for best practices for water supply and sewer-age system a for developing nation, befitting our role under our tagline, “Water is Life”. Thus, I would like to invite all of you to share Malaysia’s experiences and initiatives taken in transform-ing the water services industry.

I would like to encourage all participants to take this opportu-nity to use this event to develop networking among participants, share knowledge and experience so that our precious water resources can be managed, sustainably and available, not just for current needs but can meet future demands.”

A by-invitation-only eventTo be held in conjunction with Water Loss Asia 2014

The main objective of the NRW Leadership Colloquium is to provide a platform for a substantive dialogue on NRW issues between key utility leaders – CEOs, General Managers and Senior Managers, as a follow-up to the last colloquium held in 2010. It aims to focus on:• the progress made on key issues surrounding NRW, includ-

ing the magnitude of the NRW problem in many cities and regions of several Malaysian states,

• the reasons why NRW strategies and holistic NRW man-agement are often difficult to be implemented fully or prac-tised,

• re-examining the adequacy of funding and the human re-source requirement.

Exceptional leadership is essential for today’s water and wastewater utilities to thrive, particularly so, in the context of NRW management. In support of water utilities nationwide – both MWA and the organisers of Water Loss Asia 2014 feel it is timely for the utility leaders, as colleagues and industry peers, from across the country to come together to review the strate-gies and results of what has been done so far, and for all to share their leadership experiences on how they are manag-ing the complex challenges in NRW and the successes and hurdles they are facing in leading the NRW effort. Importantly too, the NRW Leadership Colloquium seeks to provide the util-

ity leaders an avenue to collaborate and exert influence, drive change and initiate action on challenging NRW issues across organisational boundaries for the benefit of the nation.

One significant objective of the Colloquium, which aims to tap into the vast operational and management expertise of the utilities, is the preparation of a Memorandum at the end of the session outlining the key issues raised during the discussions and forwarding recommendations on NRW management to the Government. The Memorandum, which will be presented to the Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water, seeks to draw the Minister’s attention to the national challenges of NRW re-duction and to solicit the Minister’s involvement and assistance in providing the necessary impetus and policy definition. This will enable the Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water to pursue NRW reduction and water demand management as a key strategy and priority under the coming 5-year Malaysia Plan as part of the overall national water restructuring frame-work and funding provision. It is hoped that the country will see favourable improvement in NRW levels in the near term with the support from the Ministry and the concerted efforts of the utility leaders in personally driving the change.

The facilitator is Mr. Stuart Hamilton. The program will start with the Review of Malaysia’s 2010 NRW Strategy Plan, Roundtable Discussion of Implementation of NRW Strategy Plan, presentation on NRW Methodologies and New Technolo-gies, Way Forward for NRW Strategic Plan and presentation of findings to Minister of KeTTHA. It ends with lunch with the Minister.

THE NRW LEADERSHIP COLLOQUIUM – 4 SEPTEMBER 2014

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MWA Activities

The Malaysian Water Association (MWA) will be organising a Technical Tour to IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition

in Lisbon, Portugal from 21 to 27 September 2014.The IWA World Water Congress and Exhibition (WWC&E) is

a high-profile international event attracting thousands of water professionals and organisations from across the globe. The congress is held in a different city around the world every two years, and had previously graced the cities of Busan, Montréal, Vienna, Beijing, Marrakech, Melbourne, Berlin and Paris.

Following are the congress themes:• Cities and basins of the future• Utility management, assets and customers• Water reuse and resource recovery• Protecting human and environmental health• Innovative water supply and wastewater treatment technolo-

gies and processes• New industrial water management, technologies and pro-

cesses• Water policy, governance and regulation in a changing world• Breakthrough science and technology for the water cycle• Information and communication technology for water

Hence, MWA is extending this invitation to its members and associates to be part of MWA and Malaysian delegation to the IWA World Water Congress in Lisbon, Portugal 2014. We hope with the strong delegation from Malaysia, we can work together to promote and convince other international delegates to participate in the 7th IWA-ASPIRE 2017 Confer-ence & Exhibition to be hosted by Malaysia.

MWA also proposed a visit to ERSAR, the water and waste-water services regulation authority office during this tour.

MWA-ORGANISED TECHNICAL TOUR TO IWA WORLD WATER CONGRESS & EXHIBITION 2014, LISBON, PORTUGAL 21 – 27 September 2014

MWA Websitewww.mwa.org.my

The website is

now being updated regularly to keep

members informed on the latest news

about MWA activities and

development in the local and

international water industry.

Please visit MWA website and we

welcome feedback to further improve

our service to members.

18 WaterMalaysia

Educational & Training

CePSTPO June 2014

Certified Environmental Professional in Sewage Treatment Plant Operation (CePSTPO) CourseSupported by: DOE Malaysia, SPAN & IWK

WHAT IS CePSTPOCePSTPO course are tailored to enhance the competencies of personnel involved in the wastewater management system which include the procedures involved in undertaking primary and secondary treatment and sludge handling.

COMPETENCY REQUIREMENTEnvironmental Quality Act 1974 – Environmental Quality (Sewage) Regulations 2009 Sec.6, WSIA – Section 49 and 180

MODULESCePSTPO course consists of five modules as listed below:Module 1 : a) Regulation & Enforcement for Sewerage Works b) Introduction to the Sewerage SystemModule 2 : Primary TreatmentModule 3 : Secondary TreatmentModule 4 : Measurement and Testing On-Site Plant for Process Control ParameterModule 5 : Processing and Disposal of Sewage Sludge Dewatering

PARTICIPANTSSupervisors / operators / contractors who manage and operate sewage treatment plant (STP).

DURATION OF TRAINING: 5 DAYSTIME: 8:30 am to 5:30 pmENTRY LEVEL – Minimum qualification Diploma with 1 year of working experience in STP process/maintenance/supervision and above. (effective on Jan 2013)COURSE FEE – The course fee is RM 3,900.00. Discount 5% for MWA members.

REGISTRATION AND ENQUIRIES Malaysian Water Academy Sdn Bhd (MyWA)

Contact Person: Azuar Razmi/Imran Zulkafliazuar@mwa.org.my/imran@mwa.org.my24-3, Jalan Sri Hartamas 8Taman Sri Hartamas50480 Kuala LumpurTel: 03 6201 1457/1562

WaterMalaysia 19

Featured Article

Upgrading Of Klian Gunung Water Treatment Plant, Mukim Ijok, Daerah Selama, Perak1.0 IntroductionThe Klian Gunung WTP is located in the Mukim of Ijok in the district of Selama, Perak.

Raw water source for the plant is from Sg. Klian Gunung. The intake consists of a RC weir across the river, an inlet strain-er and a 400mm diameter HDPE raw water main. Due to the deterioration in raw water quality especially after heavy rain, LAP (Lembaga Air Perak or Perak Water Board) has decided to build a new package treatment plant in 2013 to replace the ex-isting slow sand filtration system and at the same time upgrade the plant capacity from 4.5 mld to 6.8 mld. The main process units consist of a SS304 mixing cum flocculation tank, two units of SS304 sedimentation tank with SS304 inclined plate settlers and three circular SS304 open gravity sand filters. The contract period of the project was 32 weeks. The plant was completed on 11 July 2013.

The overall treatment process is shown in the process flow diagram attached.

2.0 Flocculation ProcessThe designed detention time was 10 minutes. Incoming mixed raw water flow through openings at the flocculation distribution channel with velocity gradient of 50sec-1. The flocculated water enters the sedimentation tanks via opening designed with flow velocity of less than 0.1m/s. Drainage pipes and scour valves are provided at each tank for scouring purposes.

3.0 Sedimentation ProcessThe sedimentation is sized for 20 minutes retention at its full production capacity and at 7.6m3/m2/hr surface loading rate. The inclined plate settlers are designed with Hazen velocity of 0.79m/hr and 10 minutes retention time. Clarified water is de-canted and flows into stainless steel V-notch launders located above the inclined plate settlers. The water is collected in a common settled water channel that leads to the inlet manifold of the three filters. Settled water sampling is tapped from the settled water manifold and gravity down to analytical rack.

The settled sludge at the bottom of the hoppers will be re-moved via the hydraulic principle and is led to the exterior drain. The desludging action will be initiated periodically by the open-ing of the desludging valve operated by the motorized valve. The actuators are controlled by timers which are adjusted to operate at pre-determined time interval and for pre-set dura-tion.

4.0 Filtration ProcessThe three filters are designed to operate at a rate of 8m3/m2/hr under normal operation. They can be overloaded to about 12m3/m2/hr when one filter is taken out for maintenance. The filters will operate for continuous run of 48 hours, after which it is due for backwashing.

The backwashing action is separated, i.e., air scour is initi-ated first followed by wash-water. Two units of new air blowers and wash water pumpsets are installed for this purpose. The filter control consoles also house the backwash flowmeter and air scour flowmeter. The filtered water is collected at an outlet manifold and it is then directed into the converted water stor-age tank.

5.0 Clear Water Storage Tank (Converted from Existing Slow Sand Filter)The two units existing slow sand filter were converted into clear water storage tank. A 2.5 meter high metal roof complete with steel support structure, platform, entrance and ventilation was constructed over the existing slow sand filter to allow for easy access and maintenance.

An electromagnetic flowmeter and one unit treated water sampling pump was provided at the tank outlet for plant moni-toring.

6.0 Lime Dosing PlantTwo units PE tanks of 1,800 litres each complete with elec-tric mixers were installed for lime solution preparation. Solution storage is sized according to average dosage with 5% solution concentration. Two units metering pumps with maximum dos-ing rate of 12ppm were installed. PVC dosing pipe was installed inside the building and reinforced flexible hose was installed outside the building until the dosing point.

Pre-lime dosing is provided as stand-by only at the raw wa-ter inlet pipe before the chamber. Post lime dosing is introduced at the filtered water outlet pipe.

7.0 Liquid PAC Dosing PlantLiquid PAC is dosed inline after the pre-lime dosing (stand-by) point and is regulated by stream current detector.

Two HDPE tanks of 7,200 liters each complete with meter-ing pumps were installed for the dosing of liquid PAC at the raw water inlet pipe.

The tank capacity was designed to provide for four weeks dosage requirement.

8.0 Chlorine Dosing PlantChlorine gas from 65KG gas cylinders was dosed at the plant outlet. Two units post chlorinator (one duty, one stand-by) were installed at the plant. Maximum dosing rate of post chlorination shall be at 1.5 kg/hr based on maximum 5ppm dosage. The chlorination system also came with two units of chlorine booster pumpsets, ejectors, leak detector and alarm.

9.0 Fluoride Dosing PlantFluoride is dosed at the clear water outlet pipe.

10.0 Power SupplyA 60kVA diesel generator set was installed to provide power supply to the treatment plant before TNB supply came in. A die-sel storage bulk tank for one week usage was also provided.

11.0 Laboratory and Operator RoomAn Operator Room equipped with laboratory and water quality analytical rack was constructed above the existing clear water tank.

With the commissioning of the package water treat-ment plant, LAP has managed to overcome the problem of water quality to this rather remote area of the state.

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Featured Article

WaterMalaysia 21

Featured Article

IWK Capacity Building Initiatives Through The WOPs

The story of how IWK shares its expertise in wastewater management and services by successful mentoring several sister operators in neighbouring countries through the Water Operator’s Partnership.

IWK’s Achievements

Over the past decade, IWK has hosted and conducted more

than 25 technical visits, study tours, workshops and WOPs to share technical know-how with operators from Indonesia, India, Bangladesh, Philippines, Thai-land, Vietnam and the Middle East. IWK’s capacity building

initiatives at the regional level evolved out of IWK’s position as the key sanitation service provider in Malaysia (which has almost 100% sanitation coverage) and the need to improve access to safe sanitation in other parts of Asia.

The solutions offered by the developed nations may not be suitable for developing nations. As Malaysia’s national sewer-age company which has overseen development from primary on-site systems to large scale centralised facilities, IWK is uniquely positioned to benefit others in the developing world. IWK also has the advantage of a lower cost and geographical proximity to Asia.

Regional NGOs such as Waterlinks and international fund-ing agencies such as Asian Development Bank played a key role in WOPs between IWK and other utilities in the region. They gave the much needed support and funding for the WOPs to be implemented successfully. IWK has been a “mentor op-erator” in more than ten WOPs programmes whereby it had directly impacted Vietnam (two operators); Indonesia (three operators); Philippines (six operators) and India (one opera-tor). About 90 technical staff of recipient organisations benefitted from the WOP programmes. The areas of capacity building range from sharing technical know-how in sewerage management, development and communication to the O&M of sewerage facilities as well as septage management. We also progressed from single WOPs frame-work, meaning one mentor matched with one recipient model to a ‘Multiple WOPs’ model whereby IWK mentored more than one recipient at a given time. The intent was to facilitate a wider impact of mentorship and benefit more partner utilities within one WOP programme.

Example of Tangible Success

i) Perusahaan Daerah Air Minum, Indonesia

The WOP with Perusahaan Daerah Air Minuman (PDAM) Tirtanadi in Medan, Indonesia would is one example of a suc-

cessful transfer of know-how, where it resulted in an increase in connections and improved services in Medan. Both PDAM Tirtanadi and IWK were recognized with the Waterlinks Awards 2010 for the successful outcome.

One of the key factors for the success in achieving the targeted increase in connections was the involvement of all stakeholders in Medan for the WOP. PDAM Tirtanadi facili-tated by Waterlinks (USAID’s Eco-Asia programme) got hold of representatives from their local governing authorities to form a technical committee to attend all training sessions with IWK. This created a platform for buy-in and government support for the implementation of sewerage connections in PDAM Tirtanadi’s service areas. Another factor is the “seeing is believing” concept, wherein Medan’s team visited IWK’s fa-cilities and saw for themselves the impact of efficient sewerage systems serving local communities. The good rapport between IWK and PDAM Tirtanadi also played a key role for successful partnership. The relationship progressed with the PDAM once again partnering with IWK in 2012 for a twinning arrangement under ADB whereby IWK provided training on operations and maintenance of sewage treatment systems.

ii) Maynilad Water Services, Philippines

Another example is our successful partnership with utilities in the Philippines. In 2010, IWK partnered with Maynilad Water Services under a single WOP model facilitated by Waterlinks to improve sewerage collection and treatment systems in Metro Manila. We conducted workshops and hands-on train-ing to enhance Maynilad’s capability in the design of collec-

tion networks and treatment facilities with small footprint to overcome land constraints in Metro Manila. IWK also shared best practices on sewerage project development and implementa-tion. As a result, Maynilad was able to implement sewerage projects to serve 50,000 residents successfully. Mayni-lad’s increased commitment helped it to develop another ten treatment facilities within the following year.

iii) Philippines Water Association and Maynilad

Building on the good relationship with Maynilad, we, along with Watrelinks developed a Multiple WOP (MWOP) model to benefit more utilities in the Philippines. Maynilad and the Philippines Water Association (PWA) played a supporting role as local counterparts to facilitate the MWOP. The key area for capacity-building was to improve septage management for five local operators at Baliwag, Carbanatuan, Cebu, Calamba and Laguna water districts. This set-up provided opportunities

“For a successful WOP, the commitment from key stakeholders need to be identified and buy-in secured.”

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Featured Article

for bigger scale of knowledge sharing and replications of best practices across the water districts in Philippines. The key success in septage management included improved access to services for at least 45,000 people in the Philippines; strength-ened capacities of the water districts; and adoption of new practices introduced through the WOP by the water districts.

Challenges for a Successful WOP

The main challenge is to secure the local counterpart’s governing authorities buy-in and involvement to support the implementation of best practices learnt from IWK. Usually, the mentee operator appreciates the knowledge we share, but faces barriers in local financing and approvals from governing bodies while implementing them on the ground.

Hence for a successful WOP, the commitment at the on-set from key stakeholders needs to be identified and buy-in

secured. It is challenging as this crucial step will take time and may not materialise even at the end of a WOP. Other challenges would be the process as a whole to firm up on agreed targets between the mentor and mentee and the WOP funding agency. Most of the counterpart utilities in Southeast Asia would have their unique local approval protocols that would take time to be cleared before a WOP agreement can be finalised. Another factor to watch out for is for the agreed scope of WOP to be clearly defined and realistic targets set within local condition and constraints. This is where we greatly appreciate the central role of Waterlinks in most of the WOPs IWK had been involved in.

Abstracted and re-cast with permission from article “Both tangible and intangible benefits of WOPs”, Asian Water, January/February 2014.

WaterMalaysia 23

Featured Article

Standard STP - Standardisation Strategy For Sewerage Industry In MalaysiaThe introduction of the Standard STP would ultimately impact positively on efficiency, quality and cost reduction in the sewerage industry.

Standardisation is an essential initiative to ensure consistent quality of product or services by utilising and establishing

a set of standards i.e. rules for the uniformity of processes and products. The main goals are for the provision of quality, compatibility and safety of products supplied or services rendered. In the context of sewerage industry, effective standardisation can be viewed as central to its operational excellence as well as compliance with balanced societal and environmental requirements. By using standardisation, stakeholders in the industry can easily communicate through the set standards, in order to maintain focus and to achieve mutually consistent decisions for mutual gains.

Standardisation in Sewerage IndustryStandardisation has been introduced to the local sewerage industry since the 1990’s (Figure 1). It was introduced with the aims to elevate the industry standard in improving the quality

of sewerage services and assets. The inception of Malaysian Standard Code of Practice for Design and Installation of Sewerage System in 1991 was the beginning of standardisation practices in the industry. As the technological and regulatory components progressed gradually, the Guidelines for Developers were established in 1994 to further enhance the standard practices from the introduction of uniform criteria and methods for sewerage works. The Malaysian Sewerage Industry Guidelines (MSIG) in 2009 was a more recent addition of the said Guidelines. These efforts in standardisation has established the common rules and guidelines for sewerage development and managed to elevate the standard of the sewerage industry to a higher level.

From the business operating perspective, a sewerage system that conforms to standard requirements would increase efficiency and quality and reduce costs by minimising the differences in the systems. Clearly, it permits fair level

competition among the business players who are involved in the consulting, construction, installation and supply services. In the context of operational services, industry standards will benefit the operators through compatibility and interoperability of sewerage infrastructures. Driven by this emphasis in standardisation of the industry, the notion of a Standard Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) was conceived in 2009 and has been gaining momentum ever since.

Introduction of Standard STP InitiativeIn Malaysia, the approval processes for a development project requires agreement from various technical agencies before the project can be implemented and certification of sewerage works is a part of the processes. Any deferments in the certification creates a chain of effects that will derail the overall approval process.

Delays facing in sewerage works certification are the results of several common issues and non-conformance at various stages as depicted in Figure 2. Some examples include the buffer zone issues during the planning stage, differences

in interpretation of requirements during the design stage and dispute over the expected quality of the constructed plants and equipment during the construction stage. The quality and safety of the asset will be at stake when it is debatable when the requirements are unclear. All these issues will require repetition of works that could have drawn extra resources input from all stakeholders and indeed reduced the industry efficiency as a whole. The impact on the additional resources would then translate into extra costs incurred.

Recognising all these as critical issues in the industry, by early 2010, an initiative to simplify and expedite the overall development approval processes was endorsed. This initiative involved participation from various stakeholders including

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federal and state agencies, local councils, utility companies, developers and professional bodies. The initiative identified Standard STP as one of the strategies and both SPAN and IWK were given the mandate to drive the strategy.

The Standard STP initiative’s intention is to minimise variations. It is foreseen that Standard STP will improve transparency of the requirements, with the aim to minimise the gaps between the expectations of the stakeholders. Since Standard STP introduces commonality, the downstream processes of sewerage works could be streamlined and consistent decisions could be achieved at all time. As a result, the certification processes can be simplified and expedited, and repetition could be minimised without sacrificing the development approval and ultimate quality of the sewerage assets.

Concept of Standard STP The Standard STP is neither a product nor a proprietary system. It is an industry standard that illustrates the standardized requirements of sewage treatment plant as typically shown in Figure 3. The concept of Standard STP lays fundamental criteria through the common features in design. This design is in compliance with standard specifications, generally in accordance with the industry guidelines, MSIG Volume IV. In addition, the Standard STP incorporates features to facilitate in standardising the design, construction, equipment selection, performance as well as operation and maintenance requirements. With these features that emphasise on compatibility and interchangeability, Standard STP offers many

benefits to various groups of stakeholders in the industry.

Features of Standard STPThe standardisation elements for Standard STP involves four processes of planning, design, construction and operation as shown in Figure 4. As an illustration of the standard requirements, the features of Standard STP are translated into typical arrangement and architectural features that pre-determine the land area and dimensions of a sewage treatment plant. The standard specification would expedite planning and design works. The commonality in the features of Standard STP will reduce variations in the construction methodology and material specifications. This will be able to provide consistent quality of construction, which can be easily monitored and compared. Operation of the plants through the standard operating procedures would improve optimisation and performance. With uniform and interchangeable plant components, more effective assets management could be achieved. Those involved in the construction industry can incorporate the standard requirements in constructing quality sewerage infrastructure.

The features of the Standard STP that promote standardisation in each related processes as described above will have positive impacts on all stakeholders of the industry as shown in Table 1. With proper control and monitoring during its implementation, the Standard STP can ensure treatment performance in the protection to the water resources, public health and the environment.

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Implementation of Standard STPThe development of Standard STP is planned to be implemented in phases. The first phase focuses on the biggest cluster of capacity and treatment process type of sewage treatment plants that have been installed in Malaysia. From the record of existing installations, extended aeration treatment system with capacity of 5,000 PE and below had been identified under this phase of Standard STP development.

In the initial phase, the promotion of the Standard STP was on a voluntary adoption basis. In organising the approach towards achieving the target for compulsory adoption of the Standard STP, several initiatives were carried out to spread the notion. The stakeholders were consulted through several sessions of public consultations and the documents of Standard STP were publicised for adoption.

The Standard STP initiative was first implemented under voluntary adoption in December 2010 for a housing development project in Balik Pulau, Penang. At present, two Standard STPs have been completed, with the other two plants are currently in progress. Since the Standard STP development is to progress dynamically, gaps and weaknesses are also identified during this stage for continuous improvement of the requirements. As a support towards this initiative, SPAN has also a plan for possible building of Standard STP at each state as show model to exhibit the Standard STP.

Way ForwardThe Standard STP, incorporating specifications and guidelines on standardisation of process design, equipment, features and other

relevant requirements for sewage treatment facilities is to achieve uniformity and minimise variations.

With the Standard STP in place, it would drive towards establishing standard system in planning, construction, operation and maintenance of the sewerage systems. The familiarisation in this processes would reduce repetition of works, stabilise the construction rates through standard material planning and purchases and ease the asset management. From economic point of view, this will minimise waste of materials, time, and effort and creates effective value chain management system for more viable whole life cycle cost of sewerage systems development benefiting all stakeholders in the industry. At the same time, the technological improvement in the Standard STP would establish

fast and efficient approval processes and optimise the design requirements to promote fair level playing field in the construction market and ensuring the quality of the end products.

The implementation of the Standard STP, ultimately, would impact positively on efficiency, quality and cost reduction in the sewerage industry. Evidently, this would eventually contribute towards improving and enhancing the national sewerage systems, bringing technological, economic and societal benefits as well as protecting water resources, public health and the environment.

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Adoption Of A Green Approach In The Design Of New Water Supply Pipeline From Pulau Indah To Pulau KelangBy Dato’ Ir. Dr. Hasnul Bin Mohamad Salleh, Former Director General, Water Supply Department of KeTTHA

A look of how green approaches have been successfully implemented in seabed pipeline to Pulau Ketam in Kelang.

1.0 IntroductionThe population in Pulau Ketam currently receives potable water from mainland via a 400mm outer diameter (OD) HDPE pipeline originated from Pulau Indah as shown in Figure 1. This pipeline was laid in 1992 and has encountered five serious leakages at the stretch from Pulau Indah to Pulau Kelang which have dis-rupted water supply to Pulau Ketam since commissioning. The water operator has to spend substantial amount of money to

provide temporary water supply and to restore the water supply system at each disruption.

This recurring problem has prompted the Federal Government of Malaysia to implement a pipe re-placement project from Pulau Indah to Pulau Kelang. The government via Jabatan Bekalan Air, Kementerian Tenaga, Teknologi Hijau dan Air Ma-laysia (hereinafter referred as ‘JBA-KeTTHA’) has appointed HLA Asso-ciates Sdn Bhd (hereinafter referred as ‘HLA’) as the consultant to carry out the feasibility study and detailed design for the inshore pipeline across the Straits of Kelang.

2.0 Site ConditionPulau Indah is separated from Pulau Kelang by the Straits of Kelang which is about 1800m in width. The Straits

of Kelang is also named as North Approach Channel by Port Klang Authority (PKA). Depth of this channel is approximately 30 m with current recorded as 1.75m/s during feasibility study.

The proposed pipeline route is located between existing jet-ties belonging to TLDM and a private entity. These jetties are located approximately 1600m apart. Numerous ships are plying this channel to dock at various ports located in the vicinity of the project site, which include North and West ports, TLDM port

and a privately owned port.Seabed of the Straits of Kelang is

subject to siltation. This phenomenon will pose a problem to ships navigat-ing in this area if dredging activity is not carried out from time to time. The dredging activity was suspected to have caused damage to the existing 400mm OD inshore HDPE pipeline and attributed to the pipe bursts and leakages.

Soil investigation with 21m deep boreholes during feasibility study has indicated that the proposed inshore pipeline route mainly consists of silty clay with SPT value of less than 4. The propose pipeline route under the seabed is as shown by the HDD pro-file in Figure 2:

3.0 Design RequirementPort Klang Authority (PKA) has set a condition that the new in-shore pipeline shall be laid with cover of 5m minimum. The con-

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tractor to be appointed for this project shall also liaise with PKA to confirm the schedule of ships movement so that construction activities would not disrupt movement of ships.

In addition, design shall take into consideration proposed seabed deepening activities by PKA and adjacent private lot. It is estimated that 785,000 cubic meter of excavation works will be involved if open trenching method is to be adopted.

4.0 Pipe Laying Meth-odsTwo (2) methods have been considered by HLA to lay the inshore pipeline across the Strait of Kel-ang, namely:-i) Horizontal Directional

Drilling (HDD) with total drilled path of 1900m;

ii) Open trenching on seabed (cut and cover method).

The following criteria have been considered and evaluated when proposing the suitable method for lay-ing the proposed inshore pipeline:-i) Environmental impact;ii) Cost of the project;iii) Disruption to shipping activities.

Open trenching method has been discarded after feasibility study stage due to its disadvantages against HDD based on three (3) criteria stated above.

5.0 Application of Green ApproachesJBA-KeTTHA has emphasized that a green approach to be adopted in the design of this project. The green elements that have been considered are as follows:-• Less energy consumption during construction;• Conserve and minimize the impact on the environ-

ment;• Sustainable development;• Energy independence;• Enhance local contractor capability for innovation in green

technology.

5.1 HDD as Green Pipe Laying Technology

HDD is a green pipe laying technology because it maximises the net benefit of human activities by consuming less energy, mitigating or reduction of environmental damage and promot-ing the sustainability in the construction industry.

For HDD, a survey has to be carried out to map out the bore paths. There must be an accurate plan and elevation of the

area and profile that the pipeline will go through. The survey will locate, identify and mark any buried services that run close to the path of the bore before HDD operations can proceed.

A typical site for the HDD for the drilling equipment is shown in Figure 3 below:

Pits will be excavated at the pipeline exit and entry points. The pits are to contain the borehole slurry. They must be of sufficient ca-pacity to accommodate the used slur-ry/cuttings mixture.

The directional drilling unit as shown in Figure 4 is placed at the en-try where the drill will enter:

The drilling operation begins by drilling a pilot hole and the drilled hole is enlarged subsequently by drill bits as shown Figure 5

Once the hole is clear and ready for the pipe, the pulled head is con-nected to the drill string via a swivel. The swivel prevents the pipe from ro-tation during the pullback. The pipe as shown in Figure 6 is pull back toward the entry exit area by the drill rig.

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5.1.1 Less Energy ConsumptionIf open cut trenching method was to be used as the method of pipe laying, the estimated minimum construction period is 18 months and it will cause massive disruption to the seabed and may cause interruption to the movement of the ships plying the Straits of Kelang. A temporary earth dumping ground is also re-quired to temporarily store the excavated material. All these ac-tivities which involve working barge, material barge, tug boats, long arm excavators, generators and other heavy machineries requiring very high energy to operate.

This scenario would be significantly mitigated with HDD technique which eliminates large volumes of soil excavation and the construction period will be much shorter. This will trans-late to less energy consumption, less man-hours on site and fewer trips to the site during construction by the Client, to the authorities and the Consultant headquarters representative. All these factors will definitely contribute to less energy consump-tion.

5.1.2 Reduction of Air EmissionHDD technique would not require deployment of construction barges and its associated tug boats and long arm excavators, coupled with shorter construction period. It would reduce the polluted air emission into the atmosphere. It is to be noted that a similar crossing at Sungai Kluang with 800mm diameter cas-ing and 450m in length only required less than a week to com-plete the pilot hole drilling and pulling.

5.1.3 Minimise Seabed and Habitat DisturbancePreliminary analysis on the soil data indicates that for the trench to be stable during pipe laying activity, side slope of the trench at the seabed have to be formed at minimum 1(v):2.5(H) ratio. In addition, the proposed pipeline would have to be buried with minimum 5m cover in compliance with the authority’s require-ment. This cover also serves as protection to the pipe from an-chors of the ships that moor at the Project site. It would create massive disruption to the seabed where the trench width could be as wide as 135m at the upper section.

The impacts arising from the excavation include transporta-tion of suspended solid in the vicinity of Project area and higher turbidity level at the Project area which will affect the coastal wildlife. However, this adverse effect will be significantly re-duced or eliminated with the use of HDD technique.It is a fact that HDD technique may release some drilling fluid which normally consists of clay and water or otherwise known as bentonite. However, this drilling fluid is harmless to the en-vironment and only causes some turbidity problem when it

breaks the sea floor, nevertheless, this problem could be overcome by avoiding a drill path that is prone to leakage of drilling fluid.

5.1.4 Sustainable Development and Lower Construction CostResources in the Earth planet are fi-nite and shall be utilized prudently. Thus, any construction method con-sumes least resources yet provides significant saving to the construction costs shall be advocated. As for the case of HDD technique for laying subsea pipeline, the feasibility study by the Consultant has indicated that the construction cost for laying the subsea pipeline by HDD technique is 33% lower compared to open cut

trenching method.

5.1.5 Enhancement of Local Contractor CapabilityThe proposed HDD with 1900m in length will be one of the longest water pipeline laid by this technology. It is expected Maxi HDD rigs with the pullback force of more than 100 tonnes are to be deployed to the work site. Contractor involved in this project would be able to enhance their technical know-how in handling bigger capacity Maxi HDD rigs and its capability to compete with international contractors on jobs that require such technology.

5.2 Corrosion ProtectionSteel pipe which could withstand the tensile force due to pull-ing action has been selected to serve as product pipe for this project. To ensure the longevity and reliability of the pipe under the seabed, proper corrosion coating and corrosion protection with cathodic protection system are required. Proper pipe coat-ings will also serve as abrasion barrier during installation by HDD method.

5.2.1 Environmental Friendly CoatingFusion bonded epoxy coating has been adopted to protect the steel pipe from corrosion. This coating is a type of powder coat-ing and it has excellent resistance to corrosion and abrasion. It is considered as environmentally friendly coating as no volatile organic compounds (V.O.C) or solvents will be evaporated into the atmosphere.

5.2.2 Energy Independent Cathodic Protection SystemTo provide additional corrosion protection for the steel pipeline, impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP) system has been incorporated in the design of this project. The system generally consists of anodes connected to the power source.

In line with KeTTHA’s policy for energy independence, the required power source for the proposed ICCP shall be obtained from solar power system. Photovoltaic cells in the solar panel will convert energy from sunlight into electrical energy.

Solar energy does not require any fossil fuel and zero car-bon emission. It is clean, renewable and sustainable source of energy.

6.0 ConclusionIn conclusion, the design of the inshore pipeline from Pulau Indah to Pulau Kelang has taken into consideration the require-ment to adopt a green approach in the design and is expected to achieve the benefits as outlined in Section 5.0.

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Modern san for short, or modern sanitation in toilets is de rigueur in developed countries and largely taken for

granted by users except when the plumber needs to be called in. And plumbers earn a good living in cities like London or in countries like Australia in general.

However in many countries that are still developing, good toilets may be a luxury still. For travellers used to modern hygienic standards, a look at how widespread modern sanitation is in the Southeast Asia region is a must before getting on that plane to that picturesque off the beaten track, not just how good the air-conditioning is. Toilets in Asean that meet modern sanitation standards are not always a given.

The data presented in the chart below looks at improved sanitation facilities defined as one that hygienically separates human excreta from human contact, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO)/United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) Joint Monitoring Programme (JMT) for Water Supply and Sanitation.

How Many People Get Proper Toilets in Asean?

http://www.establishmentpost.com/130079/

Note: This article was written by Norhayati Ali and first published in The Establishment Post at establishmentpost.com and is republished here with their kind permission.

The good news for the Association of Southeast Asian (Asean) countries is that, on the whole, they are gradually improving or maintaining access to improved sanitation facilities. The World Bank data records Singapore remains as the leading country for having 100 per cent of its population with access to improved sanitation facilities in 2010 and 2012. Malaysia, despite its water shortage woes this year during the drought, placed itself after Singapore with 96 per cent of its population with access to improved sanitation facilities.

On the other end of the scale, Cambodia’s tourism may be growing, but it remains to be one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. With half of its population lack adequate sanitation, according to Water Aid Global, Cambodia lags the rest of Asean countries. Only 37 per cent of its population has access to improved sanitation. This is a four per cent improvement from 2010.

Indonesia seems to be working hard to improve its sanitation facilities. A nationwide campaign was launched in 2008 to improve Indonesians’ access to sanitation and clean water. A 2008 World Bank reported the country incurred US$6.3 billion due to poor hygiene and sanitation in 2006. With a slightly more than half of its population having access to improved sanitation facilities or proper toilets, Indonesia still has a long way to improving its access to sanitation as well as supplying safe and clean water. (see: How many people in Asean have access to an improved water source?)

And for the uninitiated, even the protesters in Bangkok made makeshift toilets that were part of the debris left behind when the protesters decamped. (see: Lumphini Park squatters leave their seats) for a lighter hearted look at the protests in Bangkok just before the military moved in to stage their coup.

Nobel Peace Prize winner and Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, in January 2013, issued a warning to the United Nations Secretary General’s High-level Panel that US$260 billion in economic losses annually are due to inadequate water supply and sanitation.

So, overall, a lot has been done by governments to supply toilets in Asean but more yet needs to be done to bring modern sanitation to the remaining people who lack this basic facility. And those of us lucky enough to be living with modern toilets in Asean, there is always the chance to support efforts to keep them clean as some of our cities may have first world toilets but third world standards of cleanliness.

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Technology and World Features

ANITATM Mox – Sustainable and cost-effective solution for ammonia removalWith the rising awareness of energy recovery from

municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), the new generation of WWTPs are designed aiming to be energy self-sufficient, or even energy producing, instead of energy consuming as in the past. The key process to meet that demand is anaerobic digestion which transforms municipal sludge into biogas, a green source of energy. However, the discharge of the digestion contains a high load of ammonia but a low level of carbon. Therefore, when this reject water goes back to the head of the WWTPs for treatment, it generally adds 15-25% tothe total load of ammonia in the mainstream wastewater. In consequence, more oxygen and external carbon source are required to treat ammonia, also more sludge is produced.

In this context, the question is how to generate energy from sludge by digestion and cope with the high load of ammonia in the side-stream at the same time. One key solution is side-stream treatment of the reject water before returning to the head of the WWTPs by two groups of bacteria: ammonium oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and anaerobic ammonium oxidizing bacteria (Anammox). Compared to the conventional N-removal (nitrification-denitrification), the N-removal pathway by AOB and Anammox bacteria still transforms 1 mol NH4+ to 0.5 mol N2 but with less oxygen consumption (-60%), no external carbon source and less sludge production (-90%).

Conventional N-removal:

N-removal by AOB and Anammox:

Despite its very promising characteristics, Anammox bacteria have a very low growth rate, usually 9-12 months for a start-up phase. To overcome this challenge, Veolia has developed ANITATM Mox, a process using Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) technology where AOB and Anammox bacteria grow together as biofilm on special carriers. The two steps take place simultaneously in different layers of the biofilm on the carriers: nitritation by AOB occurs in the outer

layer of the biofilm, and Anammox activity occurs in the inner layer. Utilizing MBBR carriers allows this two-step process to happen in a single, robust, energy- efficient reactor that is simple to operate. Together with ANITATM Mox, Veolia has also initiated the BioFarm concept, employing a small percentage of suspended carriers from our plant at Malmö Sjölunda WWTP to seed new ANITATM Mox plants, which helps to shorten the start-up phase from 9-12 months to 2-5 months.

With ANITATM Mox and the BioFarm concept, Veolia offers a robust and compact solution to contribute to the sustainable development of green energy by generating biogas from the digestion process. This also helps to solve the economic issue by requiring less oxygen, no external carbon source and producing less sludge when treating the reject water from digestion. Let’s aim for sustainability by this future wastewater treatment technology.

Fig. 2 – Real biofilm on carrier

Fig. 1 - Conceptual model of biofilm on carrier

Wastewater reclamation and reuse networkOutcomes and Challenges

The implementation of the NEWater plants is part of a wider programme called the Four National Taps strategy to deliver

a diversified and robust water supply for Singapore.Currently, Singapore has four operational NEWater plants

at Bedok (82 000m3/d), Kranji (77 000m3/d),UluPandan (148 000m3/d) and Changi (228 000m3/d). The plants at Ulu Pandan and Changi were built under Design Build Own Operate agreements for 20 and 25 years respectively. A fifth plant at Seletar (2004) was decommissioned in 2011 in order to

centralise used water treatment at Changi and produce cost efficiencies.

NEWater is supplied and used for:• Non-potable industrial and commercial uses in wafer

fabrication plants, electronics factories and power generation plants.

• Air-conditioning cooling systems of commercial and institutional complexes.

• Supplementing Singapore’s potable water supply via indirect potable use (blending with reservoir water). In

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2011, this was estimated to be 2.5% of total potable water consumption.

The demand for NEWater has grown from 13-fold from 27 000m3/d in 2003 to 350 000m3/d today. NEWater now meets 30% of Singapore’s total water demand and is expected to meet 50% by 2030. Looking further forward, by 2060, NEWater is projected to meet up to 55% of Singapore’s future water demand.

Capital costs of the scheme are not readily available; however for the purpose of this catalogue the capital cost for the latest 228 000m3/d plant at Changi has been estimated at $165m. The production of NEWater is funded through the NEWater tariff. It currently stands at approximately $0.8/m3 before Goods and Service Tax (GST) and is cheaper than the normal water tariff of $0.94/m3 before GST.

In addition, NEWater does not attract the Water Conservation Tax (WCT). WCT was introduced in 1991 to reinforce the message of conserving water and is imposed as a percentage of the total water consumption. The WCT rate starts at 30% for a domestic water consumption of up to 40m3 per

month, rising to 45% for higher water consumption. As a comparison, the first year price for the production

of NEWater at Changi under the Design Build Own Operate agreement was $0.24/m3 (2010), inflated thereafter. The price excludes the cost of pumping into distribution and the cost of providing and maintaining the NEWater distribution network.

A comprehensive water sampling and analysis programme was conducted from 2000 to 2002 and the quality of NEWater was benchmarked against international standards. An independent expert panel was formed to provide advice on the study and to evaluate and make recommendations on the results of the study. The panel concluded that NEWater was safe for potable use but recommended indirect potable use instead of directly supplying NEWater for potable use.

Abstract from “ Managing Water Use in Scarce Environments: A Catalogue of Case Studies” (Pg 66) © 2013, 2030 Water Resources Group (2030 WRG).August, 2013

Full report available online at www.waterscarcitysolutions.com

Water Integrity: What’s It All About?

June 5-7 saw the first ever international forum dedicated to Water Integrity, dedicated to promoting transparency, ac-

countability and participation across the entire practice of wa-ter. The Water Integrity Network and UNESC IHE were the main organisers, but more than 60 organizations were involved. The rooms were awash with ideas about how corruption or lack of accountability affect different aspects of water and how those issues can be addressed. At the end, the conference generated this statement, which they are feeding in to the SDG consulta-tion process.

I believe that the need for accountability increases as coun-tries face increasingly complex water challenges. This is illus-trated in the figure, which schematically illustrates development of water management and services. Start at the bottom of the chart, at the beginning of any country’s water programs. The challenge here is to bring water to people and fields and pro-tect from floods. Here the primary requirement is *engineer-ing*. Once the systems begin to be developed, the challenge becomes maintaining the systems and making sure services meet consumers’ needs. The main requirement is *institutions* that can operate the infrastructure well, maintain it, expand

service and find ways to make sure the poor can access ser-vices. However, as water scarcity grows or water quality dete-riorates, the challenge becomes one of efficiency. Countries or basins have to find efficient ways of allocating water in a way that meets some agreed priorities or of curtailing pollution in a way that is fair and at minimal economic cost and meeting increasingly complex demands for services. For this *account-ability* matters more.

Why do I say that accountability matters more at the “ef-ficiency” stage than at the other stages? Certainly corrup-tion is a huge problem at the “engineering” and “institutions” stages. This paper finds that bidders routinely colluded to add around 15% to all bids for water and sanitation contracts in South Asia. It also reported that contractors who had paid gov-ernment officials between 1 and 6% of the value of the contract for assistance winning tenders. At the conference, a participant told us about an official he had met in East Asia who carried a laminated card giving the going rate for assistance with differ-ent types of contract. Countries at all levels of income struggle with issues of this kind.

But on issues of allocation are at their heart political chal-lenges, because they involve sharing scarce resources and im-posing costs on different parties. When water is scarce, if one party gets more water, another will get less. If one party wants the river cleaned up, another will have to pay. If one group of farmers wants pressurised irrigation and another doesn’t hard choices have to be made. Those challenges require account-ability in everything they do. All parties need to have the best and the same information. The right stakeholders must be part of the bargaining process and have equal voice. And the deci-sions must be clearly explained and properly implemented. We cannot have water integrity when information is kept secret, when some parties are excluded from a bargaining process, when the rules are not clear or when rules are not consistently applied.

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Finding Your Water Utility on the Financial Sustainability Ladder

Malaysian Water Supply Information

Looking at the financial status of your water utility, would you classify it as a struggling service provider, a developing

utility, or a performing service provider? And then, once you decide where it falls on the financial sustainability ladder, what are the best actions to move it up?

A new World Bank report, HYPERLINK “http://water.worldbank.org/publications/achieving-financial-sustainability-and-recovering-costs-bank-financed-water-supply-and-”Achieving Financial Sustainability and Recovering Costs in Bank Financed Water Supply and Sanitation and Irrigation Projects, is geared towards helping you make the right diagnosis and provides a menu of remedies to systematically increase financial sustainability.

For example, a “Struggling WSS Service Provider” is characterized by an outdated customer list, inadequate or no metering, low bill collection, frequent service interruptions, and a reliance on subsidies to meet everyday expenses. In this case, the report suggests: strong technical assistance, a focus on system rehabilitation, limiting new infrastructure paid from grants, creating incentives to increase cash flow and a gradual increase in tariffs to meet operations and maintenance (O&M) costs within a “reasonable” time frame. A project covenant could be as simple as phasing out O&M subsidies.

Often, we work with a “Developing Utility.” Here O&M costs are covered from operations, there is a stable management structure, plants reliably produce safe drinking water throughout the year, and billing and accounting systems are computerized. New investments come primarily from the government or donors on concessionary terms, with debt service geared to the

utility’s capacity. With this kind of utility, the report emphasizes capitalizing on efficiency gains to increase cash flow, undertaking only “justified” network extensions and implementing a formal pro-poor policy. Covenants become more complex and could include the requirement to cover O&M costs plus an increasing percentage of debt service through time, or a constant positive and growing cash position.

Much less often we work with a “Performing Utility.” In this instance, we find a significant portion of the budget dedicated to maintenance, few leaks or thefts, and a functioning wastewater system. Revenues cover not only O&M but also all debt service. New investments are made from a mix of concessionary and commercial sources, with operational revenues also contributing at least 25%.

The utility’s pro-poor policy is institutionalized and significantly increasing access. The overall objective here would be to expand service as quickly as sound financial health will permit. Therefore, covenants typically would include a required rate of return on assets and limiting new debt.

Whether you are just staring your career, working on utilities for the first time, or just moving to a new region or country, you will likely run across utilities on all three steps of the financial sustainability ladder. Understanding the basics and then keeping it simple is often what development is all about. In this context, knowing what you are seeing on the ground and then designing the right measures to assist is where the World Bank Water Practice’s new financial sustainability report can help.

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Policy and Regulatory

Regulatory Water Accounting

New Sewerage and Water Supply Rules and Regulation by SPAN

E-aduan

SPAN is implementing a new accounting framework for the Water Services Industry known as Regulatory Water

Accounting (RWA). RWA is the first organized effort requiring operators to submit regulated financial account to SPAN. This is to allow SPAN to work with a set of uniform and reliable information to monitor the operators’ performance. RWA will set a benchmark to determine whether the operators are entitled to review the water tariff imposed to the public. The relationship between RWA, benchmarking and tariff setting mechanism is depicted in the diagram below:

SPAN had engaged a consultant firm to conduct a study on the implementation of the water tariff setting model via RWA for the water services industry. The consultancy services were conducted between 4 January 2013 and 26 July 2013. Five states i.e. Johor, Negeri Sembilan, Pulau Pinang, Terengganu and Kedah were selected to participate in this RWA pilot

implementation. Recommendations and actions plans have been identified to be implemented and among others are the implementation roadmap for the regulator and operators and benchmarking and tariff setting model. The implementation roadmap for RWA can be categorized into short, medium and long term planning which focuses on 3 key critical factors i.e. people, process and technology. The water and sewerage operators are at various stages of readiness. In general, some of operators required to upscale their organization, financial accounting and reporting processes, and IT infrastructure and

systems to achieve a smooth implementation of RWA.

There are prerequisites before RWA could be fully realized and used as a tool for tariff setting. The main challenges are to develop cost allocation for each stage of the supply chain, developing specific indicators for performance measurement, optimizing operations by lowering costs and/or improving key business process, and setting defined standards of serviceability and operating capability for water based assets. This will require the Commission to carry out benchmarking to compare and

analyze costs and performance metrics; to review activity based costing of operations for cost efficiency, to identify performance improvement in reducing wastage and improving service level and to set benchmark costs which are the regulatory costs applied for tariff setting.

The Water Services Industry (Planning, Design and Construction of Sewerage System and Septic Tank) 2013

[PU (A) 214] Rules 2013 has come into operation on 1st July 2013. These Rules set out the requirements to obtain sewerage works and septic tanks approval as stipulated under the provision of Section 45 of the Water Services Industry Act 2006 [Act 655].Therefore all the applications made for sewerage works and septic tanks approval to Sewerage Certifying Agencies registered by SPAN.

Effective on 1st February 2014, Water Services Industry (Water Reticulation and Plumbing) Rules 2014 and Water Services Industry (Water Services Deposits, Fees and

Charges) Regulations 2014 will be applicable throughout Peninsular of Malaysia and the Federal Territory of Labuan. These Rules and Regulations are subsidiary legislations of Water Service Industry Act 2006 [Act 655]. The purpose of the enforcement of rules and regulations is to standardize the technical requirements and deposit rates, fees and charges for water services in Peninsular Malaysia including Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan. It will replace the water and deposit rates, fees and charges which is currently under the individual State Water Supply Enactments that have been in use since more than fifty years ago. You can get further details and download the Rules and the Regulations from SPAN website.

In order to meet the current demand and to provide a consumer friendly platform to channel complaints, SPAN

launched a new online complaint system called “E-Aduan” effective 1September 2013. E-Aduan is a major improvement over the existing manual system and has incorporated a systematic approach to facilitate SPAN in managing and

handling consumer complaints more efficiently, in addition to providing easy access for the consumers to lodge complaints and review feedbacks /responses. Between 1 September and 31 December 2013, e-Aduan has recorded 173 complaints on water supply (115) and sewerage services (58).

34 WaterMalaysia

Policy and Regulatory

WELPS KeTTHA Excellence Award 2014

Water Efficient Products Labeling Scheme (WEPLS), on the voluntary basis, was launched in January 2013 as

one of water conservation initiatives taken by SPAN. WEPLS is introduced for the following purposes:

• to raise awareness of the public on the availability of water efficient products;

• to encourage good water consuming habit among consumers;

• to promote green life style by using water efficient products;• to encourage the development and marketing of water

efficient products; and• to promote cost effective and water efficient technologies

Three (3) types of products are incorporated in WEPLS at the initial launching, namely water taps (include basin tap, sink tap, shower tap and ablution tap), water closet, urinal bowl and associated flush valve and subsequently in December 2013, two (2) additional products, i.e. shower head and washing machine are added to the Scheme.

Up to April 2014, nine (9) sanitary product suppliers had registered with SPAN under WEPLS. Further details can be obtained from SPAN homepage.

The KeTTHA Excellence Award (WATER) is an opportunity to recognize the efforts of the dedicated water supply and

sewerage operators as well as innovators and thinkers who are leaders and achievers in the provision of drinking water and sewerage services.

This award will give an opportunity to publicly honor the contributions of exceptional organizations and individuals who have displayed incomparable passion and commitment to the water services industry.

The following are the award criteria under the KeTTHA EXCELLENCE AWARDS (WATER):

• Operational Effectiveness and Efficiency - 30%• Delivery - Consumer Services - 20%• Community Engagement - CSR Programs - 10%• Technological Impact - Innovation for sustainability - 20%• Environmental Conservation Initiative - 20%

The closing date for submission is on 8th August 2014.For further details of K.E.A 2014, please visit SPAN website.

Event Preview

The third (3rd) edition of Borneo Water and Wastewater Exhibition and Conference 2014 (BWWE 2014) IS BACK!Water Security and Sustainability

In the global context, water security has been defined as “the reliable availability of an acceptable quantity and quality of water for health, livelihoods and production, coupled with an acceptable level of water-related risks”. Sustainable development is also not possible without a water secure world. A water secure world would also mean ending fragmented responsibility for water and integrating water resources management across all sectors namely finance, planning, agriculture, energy, tourism, industry, education and health.

The third (3rd) edition of Borneo Water and Wastewater Exhibition and Conference 2014 (BWWE 2014) is set to create greater awareness of this all important subject of water resources and water supply and the preparedness to face the challenges therein. The scientific and technical programmes will focus on finding solutions that will balance the already stressed water supply with increasing demand, innovative and sustainable partnerships in financing and managing water and wastewater, keeping abreast with the latest technologies in drinking water, wastewater and solid waste management, protecting our eco-systems and water catchments, coping with climate change and sustaining water resources including water-food-energy nexus and green technology.

For more information, visit www.mwa.org.my

WaterMalaysia 35

News

Ir. Chan Chiang Heng shares his knowledge and experience accumulated over the years in writing this book. It is written by

an Operator to Operator and discusses at length on raw water quality, treatment problems encountered and their solutions specific to conditions in Malaysia. Information found in the book will be particularly useful to operator when faced with treatment problems and the known possibilities in overcoming them.

In his forward to the Book, Dato’ Teo Yen Hua, Chief Ex-ecutive Officer (CEO) of National Water Services Commission (SPAN) commented:

“In this regard, there will be a demand for training guides and manual as reference material to complement competency courses. Hence I am very pleased that this book “Water Quality and Treatment: The Malaysian Scenario” is published and the timing is just right.”

Dato’ Teo went on to say many had recognised Ir. Chan’s considerable and rich experience in water supply together with his humble and uncanny “hands-on” approach in the manage-

ment, operation and maintenance of the water treatment plants in good times or during crisis. This experience had led him to come up with his own solutions, modifications and adaptations to problems encountered in the course of managing water quality and operating water treatment plants. Ir Chan must be commended for his willingness to put on paper for the benefit of younger generation, sharing his experience as practitioner’s ability to adopt theory to practice by improvising to cope with unique, uncertain and often conflictual situations of practice in water quality and water treatment.

MWA is confident that this book will prove to be useful and practical reference guide to impart skills, knowledge and ap-proaches that the readers can effectively apply in water supply treatment. It will contribute greatly to building up practical under-standing and competencies within the Malaysia Water Industry.

The book will be published by UKM Press of Universiti Ke-bangsaan Malaysia in about three months time.

A special cabinet committee has been set up as Malaysia braces for the El Nino phenomenon from June to September

due to the dry Southwest Monsoon, according to the Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister as reported by Bernama. The committee would be headed by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin while the secretariat would be hosted by the ministry.

The special cabinet committee will monitor the devastating impact of the dry spell (brought about by El Nino) from various aspects, including weather changes, health and agriculture.

The committee will also monitor and implement comprehen-sive mitigation measures at the national level to brace for the El Nino phenomenon in all economic and social sectors.

The committee would be made up of representatives from the Health Ministry, the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry, the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, the

Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, the Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry, the Finance Ministry, and the National Security Council.

Apart from the Malaysian Meteorological Department’s forecast, the World Meteorology Organisation has predicted that the El Nino phenomenon could persist from six to 18 months, and if this were to happen t would worsen the national water supply situation.

State governments have been asked to take immediate steps to ensure enough raw water supply and protect water sources to avoid inadequate supply of treated water to consumers. Indus-trial users have been asked to take steps to reduce the impact of water crisis by using underground water, recycling water, using water-efficient equipment, and increasing the capacity of water storage tanks.

HRDF Circular 5/2014 is to inform employers on the scope of coverage of the Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Berhad Act

2001 on 19 new subsectors which include the water treatment & supply and sewerage sectors. The circular is effective from 1 June 2014. It also has provision for matching grant for newly registered employers on reimbursement basis for training and retraining activities within first 3 months from effective date.

Employers who are registered within the Special Period

which is from 1 June to 30 November 2014 will entitle for exemp-tion from payment of levy and interest until 30 November 2014.

After expiration of Special Period, legal action under Section 13(2) of the Act 2001 will be taken against errant employers who fail to register with PSMB. Employers in Water Treatment, Supply and Sewerage can contact PSMB customer service officer on 1-800-88-4800 for assistance.

New Book: “Water Quality & Treatment: The Malaysian Scenario”

Malaysia braces for El Nino phenomenon

Water Supply and Sewerage Services comes under HRDF Employers Circular No. 5/2014

36 WaterMalaysia

News

PETALING JAYA: The Langat 2 water treatment plant project, initially scheduled for construction in 2010, will finally take off

with the award of the RM993.88 million contract to a consortium by Pengurusan Aset Air Bhd (PAAB).

A consortium of Salcon Bhd, MMC Corp and Ahmad Zaki Resources Bhd (AZRB) was awarded the project by PAAB, a wholly-owned company of Minister of Finance Inc in a letter dated April 16, 2014.

Salcon’s wholly owned subsidiary, Salcon Engineering Bhd is the lead partner in the joint venture with a 36% stake, while MMC and AZRB’s unit, Ahmad ZakiSdnBhd, will hold 34% and 30% stakes respectively.

In a statement, Salcon said the contract is a major water supply project for the state of Selangor and the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur and is expected to provide the water supply needs of the state, up to year 2025.

The project, it said, entails the development of the Langat 2 water treatment plant in two sections with nominal treated water production of 565 million litres per day (MLD) for each section.

“The Langat 2 water treatment plant is targeted to be com-pleted within a period of 36 months, that is on April 30, 2017, and includes an operation and maintenance period of three months upon completion,” it said.

Raw water will be channeled from Sungai Semantan in Pa-hang through a transfer tunnel to Selangor under the Pahang-

Selangor Raw Water Transfer Project, presently undertaken by the Federal Government.

This is a landmark win for Salcon as the Langat 2 Water Treatment Plant is the largest single water contract in the history of the Malaysian water industry.

The Langat 2 water treatment plant project will boost Sal-con’s order book to RM930 million and is expected to contribute positively to the earnings of the group.

Salcon, a water and wastewater engineering company, said it and its joint venture partners, won the Langat 2 Water Treatment Plant project through an open tender called by PAAB.

Currently the group has tendered for RM2.2 billion worth of water and wastewater projects, both locally and overseas in Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.

The Langat 2 contract award follows the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the Federal and state government on February 26, 2013 to restructure the state’s water industry.

The Selangor state government agreed to the development of Langat 2 water treatment plant and its distribution system in return for the federal government’s help to acquire four water concessionaires, with a RM9.65 billion sum as compensation to be paid to the four companies.

While the Langat 2 project is now under way, negotiations between Selangor and the concessionaires are far from over.

Petronas’ subsidiary PRPC Water Sdn Bhd has signed a Pro-curement, Construction and Commissioning (PCC) contract

with Konsortium Asia Baru – PPC JV (KAP) for the development of a raw water supply project known as “PAMER” in Johor.

The consortium, comprising Asia Baru Construction Sdn Bhd and Putra Perdana Construction Sdn Bhd, will build raw water supply facilities to support the raw water needs of Petronas’ Refinery and Petrochemical Integrated Development (RAPID) project and other facilities within Petronas’ Pengerang Integrated Complex (PIC) in Pengerang, Johor.

PRPC Water’s Director, Juniwati Rahmat Hussin said: “As a key supporting infrastructure project, PAMER has a fast track schedule of 23 months for completion. It is important to ensure that the raw water supply facilities be commissioned by early 2016 to allow other facilities in the PIC to be operational as scheduled”.

Under the contract, the consortium will develop the project

which comprises an intake pump station at Sungai Sedili Besar, a terminal reservoir at Bukit Panjang, a dam, a water impound-ment reservoir and booster pump station at Sungai Seluyut as well as 88 kilometres of water pipeline.

PAMER will supply 260 MLD to Petronas’ PIC of which 30 MLD will be channelled for public consumption. The project will also supply water to the larger Pengerang Integrated Petroleum Complex (PIPC) promoted by the Johor State Government.

Petronas’ PIC, being developed within a 6,242-acre site, will house RAPID with a 300,000 bpd refinery and a petrochemical complex that has a combined production capacity of 7.7 mtpa of various grades of products including differentiated and specialty chemicals such as synthetic rubbers and high grade polymers.

The PIC will also see the development of a host of associated facilities including power co-generation plant, LNG regasification terminal and other ancillary facilities.

PUNCAK Niaga Holdings Bhd has signed a contract with the Government for a water supply project worth RM53.4mil in

Pakan, Sarawak.The scope of the works comprises the supply, jointing and

laying of delivery and pumping pipelines; construction and completion of three water reservoirs and three booster stations and supply and installation of mechanical and electrical equip-ment including testing and commissioning.

AmResearch said the contract would last for 21 months and

was expected to be completed by September 2015. With this, it said the group had secured RM544mil worth of construction jobs this year.

All in all, AmResearch said it was expecting PuncakNiaga to secure RM600mil worth of water-related construction jobs this year.

It said the group secured the D44 sewer pipe package worth RM394mil in February and a RM97mil job to build a water treat-ment plant in Sarikei, Sarawak in May.

Langat 2 plant to be completed by 2017

Petronas to co-develop raw water supply project

Puncak Niaga set for RM600m jobs

WaterMalaysia 37

News

PENANG, 18 March 2014: Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Pinang Sdn Bhd (PBAPP) has been selected by the Japan

International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to lead a RM1.6 million non-revenue water (NRW) reduction programme for Malaysia.

PBAPP is to serve as the lead organisation for the implemen-tation of the JICA Partnership Programme on ‘NRW Reduction Technology Training and Capacity Building in Malaysia’.

In 2012, PBAPP recorded a NRW percentage of 17.6% for Penang as compared to the national average 36.4%, as reported in the Malaysia Water Industry Guide 2013.

The signatories were:• Mr. Kunihiko Sato, the Chief Representative, JICA Malaysia

Office;• Dr. Atsushi Masuko, President, Tokyo Suido Services (TSS)

Co. Ltd.; and• Ir. Jaseni Maidinsa, Chief Executive Officer, PBA Holdings

Bhd, and General Manager, PBAPP.

Ir. Jaseni explained that PBAPP would work directly with TSS, with the endorsement of KeTTHA, to ensure the success of the programme.

“TSS has helped Bureau of Waterworks, Tokyo Metropolitan Government, to achieve 3.3% NRW. We want to learn from them so that we may do better in managing NRW for Penang and Malaysia,” he said.

He said the key goals of the programme for “NRW Reduction Technology Training and Capacity Building in Malaysia” were to:

• Acquire advanced Japanese technology in NRW reduction;• Establish a world-class NRW training centre in Penang;• Apply the latest Japanese technologies in NRW reduction

in Penang; and • Establish a team of effective PBAPP NRW lecturers who

would then train other water industry professionals through-out Malaysia.

“This is an international programme for the benefit all water operators in Malaysia. The groundwork begins in Penang with PBAPP personnel acquiring the knowledge, skills and technol-ogy from our Japanese partners. Once our lecturer team is trained and ready, we will then share the expertise with our counterparts throughout the nation,” Ir. Jaseni added.

The project duration is from 1 January 2014 to 30 November 2016.

JICA will provide a partnership grant of RM1.6 million for expenses, while PBAPP will allocate the land for the “training field” and appoint a team of lecturer trainees. PBAPP will also provide the training facilities at the Penang Water services Academy (PWSA), an industry-specific academy established by the PBA Holdings Group in Penang.

PBAPP Chosen To Lead Jica Partnership Programme

Event Preview: MWA-Bentley Seminar 2014Seminar on Sustaining Water Infrastructure:

From Planning to Operations and Maintenance14 October 2014, Berjaya Times Square, Kuala Lumpur

Theme: Streamlined Network Design and Management of Water and Wastewater InfrastructureCo-organised by MWA & Bentley Systems International Ltd.

38 WaterMalaysia

Institutional Members’ News

TECHNOLOG of UK renews pact with Premier Water Services in Reducing NRW in MalaysiaOn the sidelines of the Asia Water 2014 Conference and Expo

held in the first half of this year at Kuala Lumpur Conven-tion Centre, Premier Water Services Sdn Bhd (PWS) has taken the opportunity to update the market on its restructuring and rebranding exercise.

In the event, PWS’s Managing Director, Mr Shamsul Fahmi, announced that Technolog Company of UK (TECHNOLOG) together with PWS have agreed via a memorandum of under-standing (MoU) to forge a stronger and more formal partnership on direct access to the latest technology developed by TECHNO-LOG, and serviced by Utilitec Services, UK, as the consultant.

The move is part of a new approach to widen collaboration with the technologically advanced company, TECHNOLOG, fol-lowing its formal recognition of PWS as the exclusive distributor for all its products in Malaysia. This MOU facilitates the creation of a bridge between PWS and TECHNOLOG for harnessing the synergy of a more competitive pricing policy to be adopted for the NRW industry and the advantage of technology sharing for the benefit of Malaysia’s water sector.

Embarking as the sole distributor for all of TECHNOLOG’s products in Malaysia, PWS will form a new engineering division to research and improvise the technology to suit the needs of the local market. With the new partnership taking effect, PWS is moving a step closer to be an integrated solutions provider by offering better service and technology in the field of Non-Revenue Water (NRW).

During the signing ceremony, a formal introductory speech by PWS’s MD Fahmi was delivered. Fahmi appreciated the presence of VIPs and Asiawater 2014 delegates and highlighted that the new partnership forged would result in better service in more ways.

According to TECHNOLOG’s Commercial Director, Mr. Ste-phen Howard, TECHNOLOG’s products have been developed and improved over the years and the world-class established TECHNOLOG ensures enjoyment of the full benefits of their technology now and for many years to come.

TECHNOLOG has over 30 years’ experience in the design and manufacture of battery powered data loggers and electronic pressure controllers for the water and oil & gas industry. Their products are well known across the globe for its application in water, oil & gas and environmental monitoring.

PWS is a joint-venture company between Ranhill Water Ser-vices Sdn Bhd (an expert NRW contractor) and Premier Amal-gamated Sdn Bhd (NRW Technology and Equipment provider). Established in February 2012, PWS aims to improvise their patented “Advance Pressure Management Control (APMC™) as part of an advance initiative of improving Non-Revenue Water (NRW) strategy. Experienced and highly skilled teams in NRW industry ranging from Project Execution Specialists, Ground Staff, Administration and Project Management make PWS a unique organization with the capability to provide the required technological solutions and expert services for the NRW industry.

MD Fahmi said that PWS has become synonymous with APMC™.

APMC™ is a strategic solution entailing the careful study of existing District Monitoring Zones (DMZs), installation of the

DMZs with PRV Controllers (Regulo) and controlling the DMZ pressure by reference to the Critical Point Loggers (Cello) thus eventually enabling an achievement of a user-demand modula-tion. APMC™ ensures that the consumers will have sufficient and consistent water pressure, while giving endless benefits to the water operator in terms of Non-Revenue Water (NRW) reduction.

PWS commenced operation with the implementation of APMC™ Phase 1 for Syarikat Air Johor (SAJH).

APMC™ Phase 2 was subsequently awarded to PWS and was completed within a short duration of 9 months. Premised on the successful track record, SAJH again awarded PWS the APMC™ Phase 3 contract, targeted to be completed in year 2015. When completed, PWS will be monitoring and controlling up to 40% of DMZs in Johor using APMCTM.

With the meticulous planning, elaborate feasibility study, ef-fective implementation and regular maintenance of the PMZs, APMC™ has contributed directly and indirectly to the reduction in physical losses towards lower NRW in the state of Johor. With the commendable track record, PWS has subsequently expanded its services to the state of Melaka for Syarikat Air Melaka Berhad with contracts awarded to PWS for monitoring and maintainance.

Pilot APMC™ sites have also been deployed in the state of Perak. There has been discussion held on the probability of project expansion, after the 4 pilot DMZs in Perak have suc-cessfully yielded substantial savings during the initial project duration of 3 months.

The event was held on the first day of the Asiawater 2014 Expo and Forum at The Apartment Restaurant located at Suria KLCC and attended by a diverse range of both existing support-ers and potential clients from SAJH, SAMB, LAP and SATU. Also present were leaders from regulatory, investment and NGO entities such as from SPAN, PAAB and MWA and of course influential fellow associates from Ranhill group of companies.

PWS is determined to be the leading technological solu-tion and service provider for the Non-Revenue Water industry through its intellectual property APMC™. This augurs well for the water sector of Malaysia in view of the intensity and frequency of dry spells experienced in Malaysia which have dwindled the supply of raw water for treatment. Whatever precious volume of treated water that is supplied to Malaysian consumers, PWS works to reduce the physical water losses hence alleviating the hardship and suffering of Malaysians affected by water short-age and rationing.

Shamsul Fahmi (MD PWS), Stephen Howard (Commercial Director Technolog)

WaterMalaysia 39

Institutional Members’ News

Ahmad Zahdi to Alan Siddall, witnessed at the back by Stephen Howard

L – R: Faizal Othman, Ahmad Zahdi, Shamsul Fahmi, Stephen Howard, Alan Siddall, Zainuddin Ghazali and Desmond Lim

Hj. Husain Embong (CEO SATU), Ahmad Zahdi (Chairman PWS) and Stephen Howard (Commercial Dorector Technolog)

Stephen Howard (Commercial Director Technolog), Alan Siddall (Export Manager Technolog) and Desmond Lim (GM PWS)

Ahmad Zahdi (Chairman PWS), Shamsul Fahmi (MD PWS), Stephen Howard (Commercial Director Technolog)

Shamsul Fahmi (MD PWS) and Desmond Lim (GM PWS) with Dato’ Ahmad Faizal (CEO PAAB)

Faizal Othman with Business Partners from MyEvolution

Faizal Othman (Director PWS), Ahmad Zahdi (Chairman PWS), Dato’ Ahmad Faizal (CEO PAAB) and Tn. Hj. Wahab (CEO Syarikat Air Johor SAJH)

June/July 2008 WaterMalaysia 41

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Ad_Malaysian_Water_Magazine.indd 1 16/05/2014 09:16:11