Sarawak Studies Water Storage Strategy To Face Dry Season
KUCHING: Sarawak will examine long-term water storage strategies to ensure the state's raw water resources are sufficient to meet domestic needs amid the challenges of hot weather and dry conditions.
Minister for Utility and Telecommunication, Dato Sri Julaihi Narawi, said the measure is important given that drought and hot weather challenges have caused raw water resources to diminish in several areas.
"With the dry conditions we are currently facing, raw water resources are extremely important. We need to ensure we have sufficient raw water resources in the future," he said.
He said this while speaking at the Sarawak Ministry of Utility and Telecommunication (MUTS) 2025 Excellent Service Award (APC) Ceremony, here, on Friday.
According to him, the current situation has seen certain areas facing a reduction in raw water resources, affecting water intake for supply purposes.
Dato Sri Julaihi said that while various water treatment projects are being planned and implemented throughout Sarawak, efforts to strengthen raw water resources need to proceed in tandem to ensure the long-term sustainability of the water supply system.
In this regard, he said, a strategic water storage study will be carried out to ensure the state's raw water resources can be strengthened to meet the needs of existing and future water treatment plants.
Five dams have been identified in efforts to strengthen water storage capacity, namely Tebia Dam, Sungai Suhu Dam, Batang Layar Dam, Sungai Ulu Mukah Dam and Sungai Pesu Dam.
He explained that these efforts are important not only to meet domestic needs, but also to accommodate water demand that is expected to rise by 2030.
"This is important not only for domestic needs but also to ensure sufficient water demand is met by 2030, besides water supply being among the key utilities that enable the implementation of the Post-COVID-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030," he said.
According to him, this approach will be discussed with relevant agencies, including the Rural Water Supply Department (JBALB) and Sarawak Water, to determine the best method of strengthening water storage and raw water resources in the state.
Also present were MUTS Deputy Minister, Datuk Liwan Lagang, MUTS Permanent Secretary, Datu Jafri Lias, and MUTS Deputy Permanent Secretary, Syed Mohammad Fauzi Shazab. -UKASnews
