JANS TARGETS SABAH RURAL WATER SUPPLY TO REACH 90 PCT BY 2035

KOTA KINABALU, July 10 (Bernama) -- The Rural Water Supply (BALB) programme is expected to reach the target of up to 90 per cent of treated water supply coverage for rural areas in Sabah by 2035, the State Legislative Assembly was told today.

Deputy Chief Minister III Datuk Shahelmey Yahya said the project implemented by the Sabah State Water Department (JANS) was carried out with federal grant allocations from the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development (KKDW).

"JANS has also planned to increase the water supply capacity in other districts according to the West Coast, East Coast and Interior Sabah zones which are listed in the federal allocation programme to be implemented in the 13th Malaysia Plan," he said.

bootstrap slideshow

He said this when replying a question by Dr Aliakbar Gulasan (appointed assemblyman) who asked when the government would set a target so that Sabah would no longer suffer from water problems.

Shahelmey who is also the state Public Works Minister said JANS has 89 Water Treatment Plants (WTP) throughout the state with a design capacity of 1,534 million litres per day (lpd) with a current production of 1,420 lpd.

He said JANS also oversees and operates water assets in seven dams, 161 power sets, raw water pump houses (1,126), and water storage tanks in the district (1,150).

bootstrap slideshow

There are also long-term projects implemented and are expected to be completed between two to five years, including the Lahad Datu Phase One water supply scheme with a capacity of 60 lpd expected to be completed in March 2025, the increase in Telibong II WTP capacity from 80m to 160m including the main pipe drainage and storage tank is expected to be completed this November except for the main pipeline which is expected to be completed in January 2025.

"Increasing the capacity of Kogopon WTP from 40 m3 to 80 m3 including the main pipeline and storage tank is expected to be completed in August 2026, upgrading the water supply system including the storage tank in Sandakan and improving the water storage tank system is expected to be completed in July 2026," he said.

In addition, the Tawau Phase III water supply scheme, the design and construction of a raw water dam with a capacity of 30 million cubic metres (mcm) is expected to be completed in July 2026, the construction of Cinta Mata II WTP, Tawau - a new WTP with a capacity of 30 lpd is expected to be completed in 2028.

-- BERNAMA