MWA Council for 2013/2015 Session

Water Malaysia
President The Malaysian Water Association (MWA)
Ir. Syed Mohamed Adnan Alhabshi 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
Deputy President
Ir. V Subramaniam
REGULAR
Vice Presidents
Mr. Sutekno bin Ahmad Belon 2 Presidents Desk
Prof. Ir. Hj. Mohamed Haniffa bin Abdul Hamid

Immediate Past President COVER FEATURE

Mr. Ahmad Zahdi bin Jamil
3 An end to the Selangor Water Saga?
Hon. Secretary General 6 What is El Nino - and why should I care?
Ir. Hj. Mohmad Asari bin Daud

Hon. Treasurer General SPECIAL FEATURE
Dato Ir. Hj. Zainal bin Bachik
8 In Memoriam - Dato Ir Kam U Tee, Recipient of 1994 MWA
Ordinary Council Members Award for Management
Mdm. Amy Yew
Ir. Zulkiflee bin Ab Hamid
Ir. Beh Hong Lin
MWA ACTIVITIES
Ir. Tham Yee Kiong 14 Opening Address by KeTTHA Minister during Asiawater 2014
Ir. Ong Guan Hock
Ir. Lim Soon Guan
Expo and Forum
Mr. Mansor bin Abdul Ghani
Mr. Sofian bin Salleh
Mr. Shaharis bin Saad 16 Event Review of The NRW Leadership Colloquium Sept 2014
Mr. Mohamad Hairi bin Basri
Mr. Shamsul Fahmi bin Mohd Padzli
Prof. Dr. Zulkifli bin Yusop EDUCATIONAL AND TRAINING
Dr. Norhayati binti Abdullah 18 CePSTPO - Introduction and Next Scheduled Course
Editorial Committee Members

Ir. Syed Mohamed Adnan Alhabshi

FEATURED ARTICLES
Ir. Ong Guan Hock 19 Upgrading of Klian Gunung Water Treatment Plant in Perak
Mr. Sofian Salleh
Mr. Lee Koon Yew
Ms. Rubby Mahmod 21 IWK Capacity Building Initiatives Through the WOPs

Cover Picture 23 Standard STP Standardisation Strategy for Sewerage

A montage news headlines (from the STAR) at
the height of the Selangor Water Rationing from Industry in Malaysia
February to May 2014.

Disclaimer 26 Adoption of a Green Approach in the Design of New Water

The Malaysian Water Association (MWA) quarterly
Supply Pipeline
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
29 How Many People Get Proper Toilets in Asean?
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 TECHNOLOGY & WORLD FEATURES
for any losses or consequences arising from its
transmittal through the bulletin. 32 Finding Your Water Utility on the Financial Sustainability
Ladder
Published on behalf of MWA by:
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35 NEWS
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Lot 37659, No. 11, Jalan 4/37A, 38 TECHNOLOG of UK renews pact with Premier Water Services
Taman Bukit Maluri Industrial Area,
Kepong, 52100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. in Reducing NRW in Malaysia

WaterMalaysia 1
Presidents Desk

Dear MWA Members and Readers,

O n 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 doesnt 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 ALHABSHI

President

Congratulations
Our 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 Agong
on the occasion of His Majestys Official birthday on 7 June 2014.

2 WaterMalaysia

The bigger picture Looking at Water Issues in their Context
An end to the Selangor Water Saga?
Compiled by Lee Koon Yew
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.
O n 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, heres a quick look at some highlights surrounding
the Selangor water supply, extracted from various sources,
including the STAR and the SUN dailies.
RESTRUCTURING OF SELANGORS 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
Besars 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
Cover Feature
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 Selangors 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
byKumpulan Perangsang Selangor Bhd (KPS) Splash with
40% Gamuda and the rest of equity evenly split between
Kumpulan Perangsang Selangor Bhd andThe 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 onlySyarikat Pengeluar Air
Sungai Selangor Bhd (Splash) a 40%-owned
associate ofGamuda Bhd has not agreed to
the takeover terms.
Restructuring to Proceed
The Sun reported on 22 May 2014 Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul
Khalid Ibrahimannounced 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 governments terms to restructure
WaterMalaysia 3
Cover Feature
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
withKumpulan Darul Ehsan Bhd (KDEB). Selangor will
also discuss for the sale and re-lease of water assets with
the Federal Government andPengurusan 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 years 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.
4 WaterMalaysia
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 Sooner
The 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

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
Cover Feature
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.
WaterMalaysia 5
Cover Feature

What is El Nio 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.

E l Nio 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.
Nowthe oddsare risingthat El Nio will return in mid- to
late 2014. Andearly signs suggestthat it has the potential to be
a really strong one this time possibly along the lines of that
big 1997-98 event.
WEAKEN, LEADING TO EL NIO
Whenthathappens, all that warm water that was piled up in
the west starts sloshing back toward the east, pulled back down
by gravity.Whats more, the underwater layer known as the
thermoclinestarts sinking.That means theres 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:

How does El Nio work, exactly? El Nio conditions in the Pacific Ocean
Lets start by looking at things normally work in the Pacific
Ocean, and then look athow things changeduring an El Nio
(or a La Nia):

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 8C (or 14.4F)
warmer.That gradient difference creates a convective loop that, This shift has all sorts of knock-on effects: For one, rainfall
in turn, reinforces the trade winds. starts following that warm pool of water as it travels east. Thats
Because the Pacific is so vast, this system is a major driving why El Nio is usually associated with drier weather in places
force in the global climate system that large warm pool of like Indonesia and Australia, as well as heavier rains in places
water in the west causes the air above it to rise, creating rainfall. like Peru.
And this set-up shapes the jet streams that guide weather and Meanwhile, during an El Nio, the warmer tropical
storms around the world: waters transfer heat into the atmosphere, whichcan raise
global average surface temperatures. The strong 1997-98
El Nio, combined with global warming, helped push global
temperatures in 1998 to new highs. (The next record came in
2005, after a weaker El Nio.)

How often does El Nio happen?

Every two to seven years, on average.
Heres how El Nio and La Niahave alternatedsince 1882
as the chart shows, some years have stronger episodes,
some years have weaker ones, some years nothing happens.
Its hard to discern any predictable pattern:
The two strongest El Nio events in the past 150 years
occurred in 1982-83 and 1997-98. These are sometimes
referred to as super El Nios. See Graph 1.

Normal conditions in the Pacific Ocean
2) El Nio:Now heres the twist.Every now and again,
however, for reasons thatare still being debated, those Pacific
trade winds can get disrupted.
BUT EVERY SO OFTEN, THOSE TRADE WINDS
What sort of weather impacts does El Nio have?
An El Nio can have vast and far-reaching effects around
the world. A lot depends on whatkind of El Nio occurs ,
buthereare some of the broad global impacts:
Flooding in South America: Warmer water in the Eastern

6 WaterMalaysia

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 Nio could bring heavier rainfall to California and the
southwestern US in the winter. But there are twists here a
medium-sized El Nio orModokievent might not bring that All the greenhouse gases that humans have put into the
much rain to California. Given that the stateis 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 Nio, 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 Nio is usually associated withrelatively
fewerhurricanes in the Atlantic. One hypothesis is that El Nio
bringsstronger windsto 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 Nio, 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 dependon the type of El Nio we
get.
Will El Nio return in 2014?
Its looking increasingly likely.
An El Nio officially occurs when sea surface temperatures in
the southern Pacific rise 0.5C above their historical average.
Right, now, temperatures just beneath the surfaceare rising
fast, and many forecasters are raising the odds of an El Nio
in 2014.
Heresthe National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration: the chances of El Nio increase during the
remainder of the year, exceeding 50% by summer. Forecasters
arenow predictinga nearly 80 percent chance of El Nio by
September:
Cover Feature
Will El Nio push global temperatures to new highs?
Possibly if we get a strong El Nio, 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 Earths surface have been rising over
time. But theres a fair bit of fluctuation within that upward
trend. El Nio years tend to be a bit hotter, La Nia years tend
to be a bit cooler.
Thischartfrom NASA offers a good visualization of the
situation:
NASA
atmosphere tend to trap heat at the Earths surface andwarm
the planetover time.Butmore than 90 percentof 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 Nia events, more of that heat is trapped beneath
the ocean surface. When a strong El Nio hits, more of that heat
is essentially transferred to the surface. Thats why the Earths
average surface temperatures reached new highs in 1998
due to the combination of global warming and an extremely
strong El Nio. Then, in 2005, surface temperaturesreached
another new high, thanks to continued global warming (and the
end of a much weaker El Nio).
So its possible that a strong El Nio in 2014 when
combined with global warming could cause 2014 or 2015 to
be the warmest year on record.
But a lot depends onwhenthe El Nio actually starts: the
spike in global surface temperaturestypically lagsthe spike
in Pacific Ocean by a few months. So if El Nio arrives in late
2014, then 2015 will probably be the hot year. It also depends
on what type of El Nio arrives: an El Nio that spreads
across the full Pacific Oceanis more likelyto push up global
temperatures thana Modoki eventthats limited to the central
Pacific.
WaterMalaysia 7
Special Feature

In Memoriam Dato Ir. Kam U Tee

D ato 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 Associations 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.

Dato Leo Moggie, Hon. Minister of Works presents inaugural

MWA Award for Management 1994 to Dato Ir. Kam U Tee

MWA AWARD FOR MANAGEMENT

1994 RECIPIENT DATO KAM U TEE
The 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.

Snippets from acceptance speech by

the late Dato Kam U Tee
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.

8 WaterMalaysia

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 ones 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.
New Group Executive Director of MWA
Career:
G raduated 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
Special Feature
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
Asias 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.
Water 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).
WaterMalaysia 9
MWA Activities

Council Members facing the members at 26th Q & A time at the AGM
AGM

Post-AGM Talk by AKSB Lunch together

Overall view of the STP MWA delegates at the plant

10 WaterMalaysia
 MWA Activities

Workshop in progress MWA participants with certificate of

attendance

Delegates with MetMalaysia officers Briefing at the Earthquake and Tsunami

operation room

Briefing by MWA to Korean visitors Photo session together

WaterMalaysia 11
MWA Activities

ASIA WATER 2014

19 21 March 2014, KLCC

Asian Countries Presentation chaired by MWA YB Datuk Seri Panglima Dr.Maximus Johnity
Immediate Past President Ongkili, Minister of KeTTHA delivering his
opening speech

Official Opening by YB Minister of KeTTHA Exchange of signed MoU by MWA President

and AWA CEO

Tour of the exhibition by Minister and his en- Good old golf trick!
tourage

12 WaterMalaysia
 MWA Activities

INTRODUCTION TO INTEGRATED LAKE BASIN MANAGEMENT COURSE

26 29 May 2014, UKM, Bangi

Opening remarks by Perbadanan Putrajaya Participants group photo

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

11 JULY 2014

Presentation by Director of Lembaga Urus Air Q & A session

Selangor, Tn. Hj. Md Khairi Selamat

WaterMalaysia 13
MWA Activities
Review of Asiawater 2014 Expo and
Conference
T he 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 regions 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 MWAs 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
14 WaterMalaysia
13,170 visitors from 48 countriesmaking 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 KeTThas Ministers speech.
Water - Our Nations Precious Assets
Water is our most precious natural resource. It is vital to the
peoples life, an essence to the environment and is crucial to the
economic development of any country. At present, the nations
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 everyones
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 Earths population already
lives in the cities. As projected by the United Nations, the worlds
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.

Our countrys 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.
MWA Activities
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
WaterMalaysia 15
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
Ministrys 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 nations 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.
THE NRW LEADERSHIP
COLLOQUIUM 4 SEPTEMBER 2014
A by-invitation-only event
To 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 todays 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-
16 WaterMalaysia
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 Malaysias 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.
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 Ministers attention to the national challenges of NRW re-
duction and to solicit the Ministers 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 Malaysias 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.
 MWA Activities

MWA-ORGANISED TECHNICAL TOUR TO IWA WORLD WATER CONGRESS

& EXHIBITION 2014, LISBON, PORTUGAL 21 27 September 2014

T he 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, Montral,
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 Website
www.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.

WaterMalaysia 17
Educational & Training

CePSTPO
June 2014

Certified Environmental Professional

in Sewage Treatment Plant Operation
(CePSTPO) Course
Supported by: DOE Malaysia, SPAN & IWK

WHAT IS CePSTPO
CePSTPO 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 REQUIREMENT
Environmental Quality Act 1974 Environmental Quality (Sewage) Regulations 2009 Sec.6,
WSIA Section 49 and 180

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

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

DURATION OF TRAINING: 5 DAYS

TIME: 8:30 am to 5:30 pm
ENTRY LEVEL Minimumqualification Diplomawith 1 year of working experiencein 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: AzuarRazmi/Imran Zulkafli

azuar@mwa.org.my/imran@mwa.org.my
24-3, Jalan Sri Hartamas 8
Taman Sri Hartamas
50480 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03 6201 1457/1562

18 WaterMalaysia

Upgrading Of Klian Gunung Water
Treatment Plant, Mukim Ijok, Daerah
Selama, Perak
1.0 Introduction
The 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 Process
The 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 Process
The 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 Process
The 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.
Featured Article
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 Plant
Two 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 Plant
Liquid 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 Plant
Chlorine 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 Plant
Fluoride is dosed at the clear water outlet pipe.
10.0 Power Supply
A 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 Room
An 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.
WaterMalaysia 19
Featured Article

20 WaterMalaysia
 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 Operators Partnership.

IWKs Achievements cessful transfer of know-how, where it resulted in an increase

in connections and improved services in Medan. Both PDAM

O ver the past decade, IWK has

hosted and conducted more
than 25 technical visits, study
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
tours, workshops and WOPs to targeted increase in connections was the involvement of all
share technical know-how with stakeholders in Medan for the WOP. PDAM Tirtanadi facili-
operators from Indonesia, India, tated by Waterlinks (USAIDs Eco-Asia programme) got hold
Bangladesh, Philippines, Thai- of representatives from their local governing authorities to
land, Vietnam and the Middle form a technical committee to attend all training sessions
East. IWKs capacity building with IWK. This created a platform for buy-in and government
initiatives at the regional level evolved out of IWKs position support for the implementation of sewerage connections in
as the key sanitation service provider in Malaysia (which has PDAM Tirtanadis service areas. Another factor is the seeing
almost 100% sanitation coverage) and the need to improve is believing concept, wherein Medans team visited IWKs fa-
access to safe sanitation in other parts of Asia. cilities and saw for themselves the impact of efficient sewerage
The solutions offered by the developed nations may not be systems serving local communities. The good rapport between
suitable for developing nations. As Malaysias national sewer- IWK and PDAM Tirtanadi also played a key role for successful
age company which has overseen development from primary partnership. The relationship progressed with the PDAM once
on-site systems to large scale centralised facilities, IWK is again partnering with IWK in 2012 for a twinning arrangement
uniquely positioned to benefit others in the developing world. under ADB whereby IWK provided training on operations and
IWK also has the advantage of a lower cost and geographical maintenance of sewage treatment systems.
proximity to Asia.
Regional NGOs such as Waterlinks and international fund- ii) Maynilad Water Services, Philippines
ing agencies such as Asian Development Bank played a key
role in WOPs between IWK and other utilities in the region. Another example is our successful partnership with utilities in
They gave the much needed support and funding for the WOPs the Philippines. In 2010, IWK partnered with Maynilad Water
to be implemented successfully. IWK has been a mentor op- Services under a single WOP model facilitated by Waterlinks
erator in more than ten WOPs programmes whereby it had to improve sewerage collection and treatment systems in
directly impacted Vietnam (two operators); Indonesia (three Metro Manila. We conducted workshops and hands-on train-
operators); Philippines (six operators) and India (one opera- ing to enhance Maynilads capability in the design of collec-
tor). About 90 technical staff of recipient tion networks and treatment facilities
organisations benefitted from the WOP with small footprint to overcome land
programmes. The areas of capacity For a successful constraints in Metro Manila. IWK also
building range from sharing technical shared best practices on sewerage
know-how in sewerage management, WOP, the commitment project development and implementa-
development and communication to from key stakeholders tion. As a result, Maynilad was able to
the O&M of sewerage facilities as well implement sewerage projects to serve
as septage management. We also need to be identified 50,000 residents successfully. Mayni-
progressed from single WOPs frame-
work, meaning one mentor matched
and buy-in secured. lads increased commitment helped it to
develop another ten treatment facilities
with one recipient model to a Multiple within the following year.
WOPs model whereby IWK mentored more than one recipient
at a given time. The intent was to facilitate a wider impact of iii) Philippines Water Association and Maynilad
mentorship and benefit more partner utilities within one WOP
programme. Building on the good relationship with Maynilad, we, along
with Watrelinks developed a Multiple WOP (MWOP) model
Example of Tangible Success to benefit more utilities in the Philippines. Maynilad and the
Philippines Water Association (PWA) played a supporting role
i) Perusahaan Daerah Air Minum, Indonesia as local counterparts to facilitate the MWOP. The key area for
capacity-building was to improve septage management for
The WOP with Perusahaan Daerah Air Minuman (PDAM) five local operators at Baliwag, Carbanatuan, Cebu, Calamba
Tirtanadi in Medan, Indonesia would is one example of a suc- and Laguna water districts. This set-up provided opportunities

WaterMalaysia 21
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 counterparts
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
22 WaterMalaysia
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.

Standard STP - Standardisation
Strategy For Sewerage Industry In
Malaysia
The introduction of the Standard STP would ultimately impact positively on efficiency, quality and cost
reduction in the sewerage industry.
S tandardisation 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 Industry
Standardisation has been introduced to the local sewerage
industry since the 1990s (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
Featured Article
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 Initiative
In 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
WaterMalaysia 23
Featured Article
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 initiatives 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
24 WaterMalaysia
benefits to various groups of stakeholders in the industry.
Features of Standard STP
The 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.
 Featured Article

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
Implementation of Standard STP Standard STP would establish
The development of Standard STP is planned to be implemented fast and efficient approval processes and optimise the design
in phases. The first phase focuses on the biggest cluster of requirements to promote fair level playing field in the construction
capacity and treatment process type of sewage treatment market and ensuring the quality of the end products.
plants that have been installed in Malaysia. From the record of The implementation of the Standard STP, ultimately, would
existing installations, extended aeration treatment system with impact positively on efficiency, quality and cost reduction in the
capacity of 5,000 PE and below had been identified under this sewerage industry. Evidently, this would eventually contribute
phase of Standard STP development. towards improving and enhancing the national sewerage
In the initial phase, the promotion of the Standard STP systems, bringing technological, economic and societal benefits
was on a voluntary adoption basis. In organising the approach as well as protecting water resources, public health and the
towards achieving the target for compulsory adoption of the environment.
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 Forward
The Standard STP, incorporating
specifications and guidelines on
standardisation of process design,
equipment, features and other

WaterMalaysia 25
Featured Article

Adoption Of A Green Approach In The

Design Of New Water Supply Pipeline
From Pulau Indah To Pulau Kelang
By 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 Introduction of Kelang is also named as North Approach Channel by Port

The 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
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 Requirement

provide temporary water supply and to restore the water supply Port Klang Authority (PKA) has set a condition that the new in-
system at each disruption. shore pipeline shall be laid with cover of 5m minimum. The con-

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 Condition

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

26 WaterMalaysia
 Featured Article

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.
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

4.0 Pipe Laying Meth-

ods
Two (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 Approaches

JBA-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
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.

WaterMalaysia 27
Featured Article
5.1.1 Less Energy Consumption
If 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 Emission
HDD 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 Disturbance
Preliminary 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 authoritys 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
28 WaterMalaysia
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 Cost
Resources 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 Capability
The 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 Protection
Steel 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 Coating
Fusion 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 System
To 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 KeTTHAs 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 Conclusion
In 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.

How Many People Get Proper Toilets in
Asean?
M odern 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 Childrens Fund
(Unicef) Joint Monitoring Programme (JMT) for Water Supply
and Sanitation.
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.
Featured Article
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, Cambodias 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 Generals 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.
http://www.establishmentpost.com/130079/
WaterMalaysia 29
Technology and World Features

ANITATM Mox Sustainable and cost-

effective solution for ammonia removal
W ith the rising awareness of energy recovery from
municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), the
new generation of WWTPs are designed aiming to be energy
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
self-sufficient, or even energy producing, instead of energy simple to operate. Together with ANITATM Mox, Veolia has also
consuming as in the past. The key process to meet that demand initiated the BioFarm concept, employing a small percentage of
is anaerobic digestion which transforms municipal sludge into suspended carriers from our plant at Malm Sjlunda WWTP to
biogas, a green source of energy. However, the discharge of seed new ANITATM Mox plants, which helps to shorten the start-
the digestion contains a high load of ammonia but a low level up phase from 9-12 months to 2-5 months.
of carbon. Therefore, when this reject water goes back to the With ANITATM Mox and the BioFarm concept, Veolia offers
head of the WWTPs for treatment, it generally adds 15-25% to a robust and compact solution to contribute to the sustainable
the total load of ammonia in the mainstream wastewater. In development of green energy by generating biogas from the
consequence, more oxygen and external carbon source are digestion process. This also helps to solve the economic
required to treat ammonia, also more sludge is produced. issue by requiring less oxygen, no external carbon source
In this context, the question is how to generate energy from and producing less sludge when treating the reject water from
sludge by digestion and cope with the high load of ammonia digestion. Lets aim for sustainability by this future wastewater
in the side-stream at the same time. One key solution is side- treatment technology.
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:

Fig. 1 - Conceptual model of biofilm on carrier

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 Fig. 2 Real biofilm on carrier
biofilm on the carriers: nitritation by AOB occurs in the outer

Wastewater reclamation and reuse

network
Outcomes and Challenges centralise used water treatment at Changi and produce cost
efficiencies.

T he 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.
NEWater is supplied and used for:
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
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 Singapores potable water supply via
indirect potable use (blending with reservoir water). In

30 WaterMalaysia

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 Singapores 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 Singapores 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
Water Integrity: Whats It All About?
J une 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. TheWater Integrity Network andUNESC IHEwere the ent types of contract. Countries at all levels of income struggle
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
thisstatement, 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 countrys 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
Technology and World Features
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
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. Thispaperfinds 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-
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 doesnt 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.
WaterMalaysia 31
Technology and World Features
Finding Your Water Utility on the
Financial Sustainability Ladder
L ooking 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
Malaysian Water Supply Information
32 WaterMalaysia
utilitys 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 utilitys 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 Practicesnew financial sustainability report can help.

Regulatory Water Accounting
S PAN 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
New Sewerage and Water Supply
Rules and Regulation by SPAN
T he 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
E-aduan
I n 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
Policy and Regulatory
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.
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.
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).
WaterMalaysia 33
Policy and Regulatory

WELPS
W ater Efficient Products Labeling Scheme (WEPLS), on
the voluntary basis, was launched in January 2013as
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.
KeTTHA
Excellence Award
2014
T he 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 on8th 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 dened 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 nance, 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 scientic and technical programmes will focus on
nding solutions that will balance the already stressed water supply with increasing demand, innovative
and sustainable partnerships in nancing 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

34 WaterMalaysia

New Book: Water Quality & Treatment: The
Malaysian Scenario
I r. 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. Chans
considerable and rich experience in water supply together with
his humble and uncanny hands-on approach in the manage-
Water Supply and Sewerage Services
comes under HRDF Employers Circular
No. 5/2014
H RDF 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
Malaysia braces for El Nino
phenomenon
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
News
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 practitioners
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.
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.
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 Departments
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.
WaterMalaysia 35
News
Langat 2 plant to be completed by 2017
P ETALING 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.
Salcons wholly owned subsidiary, Salcon Engineering Bhd
is the lead partner in the joint venture with a 36% stake, while
MMC and AZRBs 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-
Petronas to co-develop raw water
supply project
P etronas 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 Waters 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
Puncak Niaga set for RM600m jobs
P UNCAK 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
36 WaterMalaysia
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-
cons 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 states
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 governments 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.
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.
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.
 News

PBAPP Chosen To Lead Jica

Partnership Programme
P ENANG, 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
He said the key goals of the programme for NRW Reduction
Technology Training and Capacity Building in Malaysia were to:

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.
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.

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.
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.

Event Preview: MWA-Bentley Seminar 2014

Seminar on Sustaining Water Infrastructure:
From Planning to Operations and Maintenance
14 October 2014, Berjaya Times Square, Kuala Lumpur
Theme: Streamlined Network Design and Management of Water and Wastewater Infrastructure
Co-organised by MWA & Bentley Systems International Ltd.

WaterMalaysia 37
Institutional Members News
TECHNOLOG of UK renews pact with
Premier Water Services in Reducing
NRW in Malaysia
O n 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, PWSs 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 Malaysias water sector.
Embarking as the sole distributor for all of TECHNOLOGs
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 PWSs 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 TECHNOLOGs Commercial Director, Mr. Ste-
phen Howard, TECHNOLOGs 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
38 WaterMalaysia
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)
 Institutional Members News

L R: Faizal Othman, Ahmad Zahdi, Shamsul Fahmi,

Ahmad Zahdi to Alan Siddall, witnessed at the back by Stephen Howard, Alan Siddall, Zainuddin Ghazali and
Stephen Howard Desmond Lim

Hj. Husain Embong (CEO SATU), Ahmad Zahdi (Chairman PWS) Stephen Howard (Commercial Director Technolog), Alan Siddall
and Stephen Howard (Commercial Dorector Technolog) (Export Manager Technolog) and Desmond Lim (GM PWS)

Ahmad Zahdi (Chairman PWS), Shamsul Fahmi (MD PWS), Shamsul Fahmi (MD PWS) and Desmond Lim (GM PWS)
Stephen Howard (Commercial Director Technolog) with Dato Ahmad Faizal (CEO PAAB)

Faizal Othman (Director PWS), Ahmad Zahdi (Chairman PWS),

Dato Ahmad Faizal (CEO PAAB) and Tn. Hj. Wahab
Faizal Othman with Business Partners from MyEvolution (CEO Syarikat Air Johor SAJH)

WaterMalaysia 39
 ORDER FORM
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June/July 2008 WaterMalaysia 41

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