Show Respect For Water

Letters

Saturday, 2 January 2016

Show respect for water

 

MALAYSIA is blessed as we have always enjoyed rain throughout the year and the land is fertile with lush trees. 

Over the years, the unequal economic growth has brought about the influx of people from other states into the Klang Valley. There has been a rapid development of residential areas with many apartments and houses mushrooming everywhere.

I wonder if there has been any study done on the maximum carrying capacity of water for all inhabitants in Selangor. How much water is enough, and is it sustainable and for how long? 

Selangor has already experienced a prolonged water crisis in 2015, and with climate change causing havoc to weather all over the world, drought and floods are going to recur. 

The Langat Two Water Treatment Plant, which was to channel water from Pahang to Kuala Langat, has been delayed and now Selangor is proposing the Semenyih Two and Labohan Dagang, Kuala Langat to cater to the needs of the people. 

Mismanagement of water can lead to serious problems, as we can see in California.The main reason for the water crisis is overconsumption of water. Eighty per cent of California’s water for human consumption goes to agriculture. The unregulated usage caused the rapid and extreme depletion of surface and ground water across the state. The prolonged draught has resulted in the worst water crisis in California. We can easily fall into the same trap, which is continuing to provide water to satisfy the demands, inadvertently drying up our resources.

The water treatment plants proposed in Selangor cost a lot of money and eventually those costs will trickle down to consumers. 

My question is, why do we need to use expensive treated water for flushing toilets, gardening or other miscellaneous cleaning needs? 

We are blessed with rain most days and rainwater-harvesting is the way forward for Malaysians in order to conserve our water resources. Municipal laws should include rainwater-harvesting systems as part of design requirements for new homes or apartments. 

In Malta, a 16th century law issued by the Knights of Saint John requires every Maltese house to collect rainwater in a cistern dug in the limestone bedrock under the house. It has become a culture in that country to collect the rainwater for their needs. 

The rainwater collected is pumped to roof tanks, which is then delivered to showers, washing basins and washing machines. The water goes through a small microfilter before it is used. The whole system used is not expensive and is able to cater to the needs of a family.

Rainwater tanks on the rooftops and gutters can utilise gravity, eliminating the use of electricity and pumps, further reducing costs.

Malaysians need to be aware that water is a resource that we cannot take for granted. With the blatant disregard that we have for the environment, polluting our rivers with all types of waste and with little regulation to save the rivers, we may face a shortage of potable water in the future. 

Singapore with little resources had the foresight to invest in solutions for a sustainable water supply. 

Besides having local catchment areas and importing water, it also reclaims used water as well as desalinates water, thus becoming resilient to weather variability. Singapore has already forecast the water demands for 2060 and is prepared for it. 

It not only emphasises securing adequate water supply but also managing the demand side. 

Conservation of water was ingrained into the public and industries with policies and programmes, thus taking a more holistic approach. 

Its efforts over the past 50 years has garnered it international recognition as a model city for water management and an emerging global hub for water research.

Sometimes being blessed with natural resources is a curse as we take it for granted and only realise our folly once we lose it.

KULSANOFER SYED THAJUDEEN

Petaling Jaya