KUALA LUMPUR: The National Water Services Commission (SPAN) has set up a special committee following the recent water supply disruptions caused by odour pollution in Sungai Sembah and Sungai Kundang.
It said the special committee will investigate and recommend best practices for sustainable water supply.
"The committee will gather information, testimonies, examine all aspects related to these incidents and will propose improvement measures to be adopted by all stakeholders," it said in a statement today.
The special committee will be set up immediately and is expected to complete its work within 45 days from its first session.
"Various parties and government agencies will be directly involved in the data collection process, including the Department of Environment (DOE), state raw water management bodies, local authorities, and water service operators in the relevant states.
"We take the recent odour pollution incident seriously, which has resulted in unscheduled water supply disruptions affecting over one million users in seven areas in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur between July 23 and yesterday," added SPAN.
It also opened an investigation paper on July 24 against the identified suspect in the case.
"The investigation is conducted under Section 121(1)(c) of the Water Services Industry Act 2006 (Act 655) for the offence of contaminating or causing to contaminate a water supply system or any part of it.
"If convicted, the suspect can face imprisonment for up to 10 years or a fine not exceeding RM500,000," said SPAN.
The commission assured its commitment to ensuring that any misconduct involving clean water supply and its sources will be dealt with strictly and as quickly as possible. It also ensured that appropriate punishment is imposed on offenders.
Previously, Selangor Water Management Authority (Luas) said the odour pollution detected in Sungai Kundang and Sungai Sembah was caused by a leak from the tank of a factory processing acrylic materials.
State Public Health and Environment Committee chairman Jamaliah Jamaluddin said the tank leak caused the scheduled waste, Poly Methacrylic Acid (PMAA) to flow into drains and ditches leading to Sungai Kuang.
She said Luas immediately directed the premises to stop the discharge and carry out cleaning works.