Returning Malaysia's Rivers To L - Malaysian Water Association.

The Malaysian Water Association Quarterly 

ISSN: 1675-2392 KDN No. PP 6646/03/2013(032826) Issue No. 25 

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Special Interview with Datuk Ir Abdul 

Kadir Mohammad Din, CEO of Indah 

Water Konsortium (IWK) 

Returning Malaysia’s Rivers To Life

MWA Council for 2013/2015 Session 

President 

Ir. Syed Mohamed Adnan Alhabshi 

Water Malaysia 

The Malaysian Water Association (MWA) 

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 

Vice Presidents 

Mr. Sutekno bin Ahmad Belon 

Prof. Ir. Hj. Mohamed Haniffa bin Abdul Hamid 

2 

REGULAR 

President’s Desk 

pg 4 

Immediate Past President 

Mr. Ahmad Zahdi bin Jamil 

Hon. Secretary General 

Ir. Hj. Mohmad Asari bin Daud 

3 

FEATURED ARTICLES 

Returning Malaysia’s Rivers to life 

Hon. Treasurer General 

Dato’ Ir. Hj. Zainal bin Bachik 

Ordinary Council Members 

Mdm. Amy Yew 

Ir. Zulkiflee bin Ab Hamid 

Ir. Beh Hong Lin 

Ir. Tham Yee Kiong 

Ir. Ong Guan Hock 

Ir. Lim Soon Guan 

Mr. Mansor bin Abdul Ghani 

Mr. Sofian bin Salleh 

Mr. Shaharis bin Saad 

Mr. Mohamad Hairi bin Basri 

Mr. Shamsul Fahmi bin Mohd Padzli 

Editorial Committee Members 

Ir. Syed Mohamed Adnan Alhabshi 

Ir. Ong Guan Hock 

Mr. Sofian Salleh 

Mr. Lee Koon Yew 

Mr. Shaharis Saad 

Ms. Rubby Mahmod 

5 

10 

15 

16 

Water Security: Embarking on a River 

Bank Filtration Approach for Resource 

Abstraction 

MWA ACTIVITIES 

25th Annual General Meeting 

EDUCATION & TRAINING 

Water Treatment Plant Competency 

Course (WTPCC) 

Certified Environmental Professional 

in Sewage Treatment Plant Operation 

(CePSTPO) 

pg 11 

pg 19 

Cover Picture 

Photo of elevated Bandaraya Light Rail Transit 

station built above the eastern bank of Gombak 

River near Jalan Raja Laut in central Kuala 

Lumpur. This river meets Bunus River in the 

vicinity of Masjid Jamek to form the Klang 

River. 

Disclaimer 

The Malaysian Water Association (MWA) quarterly 

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 

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 

for any losses or consequences arising from its 

transmittal through the bulletin. 

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25 

29 

33 

COUNTRY FOCUS 

Kuala Lumpur’s experience with water 

reforms 

SPECIAL INTERVIEWS 

Our work is dirty, difficult and 

dangerous says Malaysia sewerage 

chief 

Phosphorus recovery must be factored 

into long-term plans: James Barnard 

NEWS FROM AROUND THE 

WORLD 

ADB partners with 18 banks to help 

Chinese cities 

pg 25 

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WaterMalaysia 1

President’s Desk 

Dear Readers, 

The newly elected office bearers for the 2013/2015 

session comprise professionals from policy makers, 

water operators, consultants, contractors and suppliers 

which speak well for MWA. We would like to record 

our appreciation and gratitude for the members’ 

continuous support and contribution. 

Special Interest Group (SIG) has been formed to 

focus on various and immediate issues affecting the 

industry. SIG will focus on selected issues, deliberate and 

strategise on how to make our voice heard to enlighten 

and guide policy makers and other stakeholders. The 

objective is to escalate selected issues to the next level 

closer to a solution for the benefits of the industry and 

the consumers at large. 

Presentation of MWA position paper by SIG 

Committee on various topics at MWA Council Meetings 

is generating a lot of interesting discussion and making 

the Council Meeting an event looked forward to by 

Council Members. With the positive response and warm 

relationship with the media, we hope MWA will play a 

key role in improving the industry for our members and 

consumers in general. 

In our media briefings, we have highlighted the issues 

on funding of non-revenue water (NRW) reduction 

programme and the severity of water shortage in 

Selangor,Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya. 

Back in 1998, the water crisis then caused 1.8 

million consumers in the Klang Valley to live with water 

disruptions for six months because of a severe drought. 

Since then, the population has increased tremendously 

in the Greater Klang Valley. As such, a water crisis in 

the Greater Klang Valley in the near future is bound to 

cause even more hardship than that in the last crisis. 

This is especially so when more people are living in 

high-rise apartments and walk-up flats. 

Besides, many economic development projects 

from both foreign and local investors in Selangor,Kuala 

Lumpur and Putrajaya have to be put on hold due 

to the uncertainty of availability of sufficient water 

supply. 

These has partially affected the socio-economic 

development of one of our most advanced states, 

capital and the country’s major commercial hub 

including our national image. This time, the low 

water reserve capacity is not due to natural drought. 

As Malaysia is blessed with abundant rainfall and 

numerous river basins and catchment areas , the state 

and federal governments should work together to find 

a solution to water stress situation. 

MWA welcomed Energy, Green Technology and 

Water Minister Datuk Seri Dr Maximus J.Ongkili’s recent 

call to the Selangor State Government to resolve the 

issue of the Langat 2 treatment plant of raw-water 

transfer from Pahang and the Selangor’s water industry 

restructuring exercise within 3 months. 

Meanwhile, we also urge the consumers in 

Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya to reduce 

consumption of water as much as possible to help 

ease the current water stress 

situation as Malaysia has one 

of the highest per capita 

consumption of water in the 

world. 

On the NRW issue, for the 

past 5 years between 2007 and 

2011, the national average 

saw an improvement of only 

less than 1% in the water 

loss reduction rate. In 2011, Malaysia’s national NRW 

average rate stood at 36.7% as compared to 17% in 

South Korea.To minimise water loss,sufficient funding to 

the tune of RM1 billion is required for setting up the basic 

infrastructure under NRW programme,so that real time 

data can be made available to water operators. If the 

raising of fund is left to the water operators, who are 

already burdened by the less remunerative revenue 

derived from low water tariff, NRW programmes are 

expected to be implemented on a piecemeal basis 

and no significant long term results can be achieved. 

Hence, we call for a long-term nationwide strategy 

and implementation guideline to tackle non-revenue 

water (NRW) loss and sustainable water tariff, which 

would allow water operators to continue providing 

efficient services. 

On capacity building, MWA will continue and 

accelerate its human capital development program 

for the industry via Malaysian Water Academy through 

various workshops and training programs with the main 

objective of having more competent workforce in the 

industry. More activities will be arranged for networking 

and improvement of knowledge for the benefits of our 

members. We are continuously thinking on how to 

give back to our members that have provided strong 

support to MWA over the 

years. 

This year, MWA will 

celebrate its 25th annual 

anniversary. A grand dinner 

is being planned on 8th 

November to showcase 

the 25 years of success. 

The founding members and 

long contributing council 

members will be invited to 

grace the events. 

Thank you 

Yours sincerely, 

SYED MOHAMED ADNAN ALHABSHI 

President 

DON’T MISS! 

MWA 25 th Anniversary 

Dinner 

Date : 8 th Nov 2013 

Venue : Shangri-La Hotel 

Kuala Lumpur 

2 WaterMalaysia

Featured Article 

RETURNING 

MALAYSIA’S RIVERS 

TO LIFE 

By Dr Rory Padfield 

Senior Lecturer, 

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), 

Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA 

As far as cleaning bills are concerned, 

the amount pledged by 

the Malaysian Government to rehabilitate 

the Klang River will certainly 

raise many eyebrows. Referred to as 

the ‘River of Life’ (www.myrol.my), 

the ambitious plan to clean up 120km 

of the river over the next ten years is 

expected to cost approximately RM20 

billion. The initial programme of activities 

includes improving the river water 

quality, building a new wastewater 

treatment plant and examining the 

best options for implementing commercial 

and residential projects along 

specific stretches of the river bank. 

This is no small sum and illustrates 

the Government commitment to 

improve the ecological, social and 

economic ‘river-scape’ of Klang River 

that has deteriorated so drastically. 

The nature and size of the project is 

drawing international interest and the 

plan is likely to attract considerable 

overseas investors along with positive 

public relations for Malaysia. 

While the scale of this project is unprecedented 

in Malaysia, river rehabilitation 

projects are not new. Melaka, 

once referred to by European seafarers 

as the ‘Venice of the East’ has seen 

its murky river remarkably transformed 

in the last twenty years. Having deteriorated 

over many centuries, the 

river was subsequently cleaned up 

and investment directed into specific 

areas adjacent to the river. Not only 

has this made for an improved natural 

and social environment, it has helped 

boost economic prospects. Property 

prices are a good proxy of the direct 

economic impacts: houses adjacent 

to the river once valued at around 

RM300,000 per unit before rehabilitation 

have experienced an increase in 

value to RM800,000 and more. 

The case of the Sungai Melaka will 

provide some useful experience and 

lessons for those involved in the River of 

Life project in the Klang Valley. Aside 

from this example, there have been a 

number of international case studies 

and examples of best practices which 

illustrate how the concept of river 

rehabilitation is developing. A couple 

of examples discussed below provide 

reference to how rehabilitation could 

be used as an impetus for economic, 

social and environmental change. 

River rehabilitation in Korea 

A frequently-cited exemplar of river 

rehabilitation is the Cheonggyecheon 

River in South Korea’s capital city, 

Seoul. Once a river housing makeshift 

homes and settlements along 

its banks, successive administrations 

decided it was a barrier to urban 

development and economic growth. 

During the late 1950s, it was subsequently 

covered over with thousands 

of tonnes of concrete to make way 

for a motorway. The river was not visible 

at street level and unsurprisingly, 

considering its exclusion from public 

view, it became the recipient of the 

city’s unwanted and least desirable 

waste materials. 

It was only through the foresight 

of the city’s mayor, who in 2002 took 

the bold step of examining how the 

river could be rejuvenated not just 

for ecological improvement but for 

socio-economic benefit as well, that 

the Cheonggyecheon River has been 

transformed and now enjoys a different 

status in the city’s urban development 

plan. From having no place at 

all, the river is now the centre piece 

of urban development. Rehabilitation 

included ripping up an existing motorway 

and providing community access 

to the river. This has brought with it significant 

economic and social benefits, 

in addition to a marked improvement 

in the river water quality. Unsurprisingly, 

property prices have increased 

by 50% along certain stretches of the 

river bank. 

Moreover, the Cheonggyecheon 

River case is not just an example of 

a successful river rehabilitation programme; 

it also succeeded in bringing 

forth an improved and integrated 

transport management system. The 

complete removal of the highway 

that was once located over the river 

has resulted in one-way street systems, 

bus-only lanes, downtown shuttle 

bus services and increased subway 

capacity. If such an example could 

be replicated in Malaysia, there is 

promise that the rehabilitation of the 

Klang River could trigger a transportation 

reform within the densely built up 

riverine zones. 

And it does not stop at the Cheonggyecheon 

River. The success of this 

project is having an influence on the 

development approach adopted for 

other schemes in South Korea. Having 

realised the full extent of sustainable 

benefits from maximising society’s 

engagement with water, the South 

Korean authorities have recently 

taken steps to incorporate a similar 

approach in the development of a 

new city called Songdo. In keeping 

with the idea of integrating the local 

environment into the master plan for 

the city, the developer plans to have 

a clean, freshwater canal system 

located at the centre of the city that 

can be used to access the future commercial 

and residential centres. 

An established engineering consulting 

firm, known internationally for 

its expertise in devising sustainable 

design and engineering solutions, has 

been brought in to explore the technical 

options for the seawater canal. It 

is clear that the developers are very 

serious in their goal for a large scale 

development that is in harmony with its 

surrounding natural environment. 

Tackling river pollution in the UK 

A good example of a communitydriven 

river rehabilitation project can 

be found in one of London’s most 

deprived areas. Beam Parklands is located 

in East London in the flood plain 

of a tributary of the River Thames. The 

site is located within industrial and residential 

premises that are the legacy of 

an industry built up by the Ford Motor 

Company, which had adversely affected 

the local natural environment 

over many years. 

When complete, Beam Parklands 

will provide a link to accessible wildlife-rich 

green corridors, connecting 

the River Beam to surrounding green 

spaces and the River Thames. This 

project represents a significant component 

of the wider socio-economic 

regeneration of the area which includes 

redevelopment of a residential 



Klang River near Pantai 1 STP which discharges treated effluent into it. 

area and opening up a disused landfill 

site to public access. Crucially, the 

project will bring the local communities 

closer to water and nature, fostering 

more respect and interest in the natural 

environment. 

The River Wear in northeast England 

is another good example of rehabilitation 

under challenging conditions. 

Located in the heartland of the UK’s 

industrial revolution, the River Wear was 

not only an important source of water 

for the region’s heavy industry but 

also a convenient disposal route for all 

kinds of waste material. Unsurprisingly, 

the River Wear was one of the most 

polluted rivers in the UK throughout 

much of the nineteenth and twentieth 

centuries. Environmental reforms and 

the decline of heavy industry have 

resulted in a transformation of the river 

water quality and the basin as a whole. 

In 1965, just two salmon were caught 

in the then-polluted River Wear which 

contrasts with 1,531 caught in 2010. 

Significantly, the transformation of 

the river has been achieved thanks to 

habitat improvement projects, tighter 

regulation of polluting industries, and 

work with farms and businesses to 

reduce pollution and improve water 

quality. 

Towards sustainable catchment 

management 

While investing in an ambitious and expensive 

rehabilitation project is a very 

positive step, this level of investment 

should be regarded as the last resort. 

Sustainable catchment management 

and policies to ensure that river basins 

do not subsequently require massive 

and costly cleaning up work should be 

the top priority. Setting aside the known 

environmental, social and economic 

impacts of inadequate river basin 

management, it will be very costly to 

justify this type of investment for each 

polluted river basin in Malaysia. 

Of course, sustainable catchment 

management is easier said than done 

and very few countries have managed 

their path to development without the 

partial sacrifice of rivers and streams. 

Industrialisation, urbanisation and 

agricultural intensification, in particular, 

have all led to the widespread 

development and alteration of rivers 

and their floodplains throughout the 

world. 

In terms of impacts of development 

on river water quality, Malaysia is no different; 

figures from 2010 indicate that 

60% of all river basins were found to 

be clean, 35% slightly polluted and 5% 

polluted. The trend since 2006 indicates 

that river water quality is improving; the 

number of clean river basins was 91 in 

2007 compared to 80 in 2006 and the 

number of slightly polluted river basins 

dropped from 56 in 2006 to 45 in 2007. 

However, the number of polluted river 

basins remains at seven which represents 

5% of all basins (DoE, 2010). 

To make a comparison with the UK 

once again, the rivers are currently at 

their healthiest state in over a century 

with seven out of ten English rivers and 

nine out of ten Welsh rivers achieving 

‘very good’ or ‘good’ status in terms of 

chemical and biological water quality. 

River restoration and rehabilitation, 

catchment-based approaches to river 

management, improved legislation 

and the protection of sites with high 

ecological value are some of the main 

factors for the recent resurgence in the 

quality of UK’s rivers. 

The role of the UK’s river enforcing 

agency, the Environment Agency (EA), 

has also been central to help meet 

legislative compliance. The EA has 

strong enforcement powers to penalise 

polluters, revoke abstraction/discharge 

licences and even invoke criminal and 

court sanctions if necessary. Similar 

to the UK, Malaysia has a number of 

important policies that govern the 

management and monitoring of rivers. 

However, enforcement of these policies 

is a limiting factor. The EA is playing 

a critical part in the improvement 

of the UK’s rivers and could provide a 

useful lesson for regulatory options in 

Malaysia. 

The River of Life project will not only 

be a positive step for the region but 

it could also be a catalyst for wider 

change. Realisation of the need for effective 

river management and governance, 

including appropriate enforcement 

of new and existing legislation, 

will not only assist in supporting the 

government’s investment in the Klang 

River but also in maintaining the quality 

of Malaysia’s rivers for a long time after 

the River of Life is finally completed. 

For further details on Dr Rory’s research, please visit Tropical Catchments Research Initiative (TROCARI) website: www.trocari.com 



Water Security: Embarking on a 

River Bank Filtration Approach 

for Resource Abstraction 

Mohd Nordin Adlan*, Hamidi Abdul Aziz*, Ismail Abustan*, Mohd Nawawi Mohd Nordin*,Rosli Saad*, Saim Suratman**, 

Mohd Khairul Niza Shamsuddin** 

*School of Civil Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Penang. 

**National Hydraulic Research Institute of Malaysia, Lot 5377,Jalan Putra Permai, 43300 Seri Kembangan,Selangor, 

Malaysia. 

INTRODUCTION 

Peninsular Malaysia is drained by a 

dense network of rivers and streams 

with about 150 major river basins. 

Major rivers that drain into the South 

China Sea are the Kelantan, Terengganu, 

Dungun, Endau, and Sedili rivers. 

Major river basins in East Malaysia tend 

to be larger than those in Peninsular 

Malaysia. 

Out of an annual rainfall volume of 

990 km 3 , 360 km 3 (36 per cent) are lost 

to evapotranspiration. The total surface 

runoff is 566 km 3 and about 64 km 3 (7 

per cent of the total annual rainfall) 

contribute to groundwater recharge. 

However, about 80 per cent of the 

groundwater flow returns to the rivers 

and is therefore not considered an 

additional resource. The total internal 

water resources of Malaysia are estimated 

at 580 km 3 /year. 

This shows that protection of river 

and groundwater are very important 

in order to obtain a sustainable water 

usage. River bank/bed filtration (RBF) 

offers a good practice to treat and 

protect the surface water as well as 

groundwater. It is because RBF uses 

the bed of a reservoir, lake or river and 

an adjacent sand and gravel aquifer 

as a natural filter. The technology can 

be applied directly to existing surface 

water reservoirs, streams, lakes and rivers, 

and now it is often a guiding factor 

in the hydrogeological investigation of 

new source supplies. 

River bank filtration is the influx of 

river water to the aquifer induced by 

a hydraulic gradient. Collector wells 

located on the banks at a certain distance 

from the river creates a pressure 

head difference between the river and 

aquifer, which induces the water from 

the river to flow downward through the 

porous media into the pumping wells. 

By applying this system of drinking 

water extraction, two different water 

resources are used. On the one hand, 

surface water from the river percolates 

towards the well; and groundwater of 

the surrounding aquifer is utilised (Michael 

Schön, 2006) 

Most RBF systems are constructed 

Figure 1 : Research approach 

in alluvial aquifers located along riverbanks. 

These aquifers can consist of a 

variety of deposits ranging from sand: 

sand and gravel, to large cobbles and 

boulders. Ideal conditions typically 

include coarse-grained, permeable 

water-bearing deposits that are hydraulically 

connected with riverbed 

materials. These deposits are found in 

deep and wide valleys or in narrow and 

shallow valleys. RBF systems in deep 

and wide valleys may have a wider 

range of options since wells (vertical 

and horizontal collector wells) can be 

placed at greater depths (which can 

provide higher capacities) and can be 

placed further away from the river to 

increase the degree of filtration. 

For large or small scale RBF, the production 

well will be constructed to collect 

the water from riverbank filtration 

and the number of production wells 

will be based on population demand. 

In Germany the production wells of 

RBF range from 20 to 600,000 m 3 /day. 

In Berlin, RBF consists of 116 wells, 30- 

60m deep and distance to the lake of 

100m. The pumping rate for each well 

ranges from 50 to 150m 3 /hour, leading 

to a capacity of up to 260,000 m 3 /day 

used for the drinking water supply for 

700,000 inhabitants (Hoffmann and 

Gunkel, 2011). The production well does 

not only receive a portion from bank 

filtration but also from groundwater, 

recharged in the landward catchment 

area. Therefore, the abstracted raw 

water from production well is a mixture 

of waters, where each of the water has 

different chemical composition. While 



groundwater-quality depends on the 

land use in the catchment area (urban, 

agriculture, etc.), bank filtration-quality 

depends on river water quality and 

the efficiency of purification processes 

during riverbank filtration (Ray et al. 

2002). Hence, the assessment of the 

bank filtration/groundwater ratio and 

the extent of the catchment area play 

an important role in determining the 

resultant quality of the water in production 

wells. 

Typical aquifers used for RBF consist 

of alluvial sand and gravel deposits 

with a hydraulic conductivity greater 

than approximately 10 m/day (Goldschneider 

et al., 2007). The advantages of 

RBF include reductions in turbidity, total 

coliforms, microbial contaminants, natural 

organic matter and organic contaminants 

(Tufenkji et al.,2002; Wang et 

al., 2002). Several studies have revealed 

that RBF is highly effective in reducing 

the risk of Giardia and Cryptosporidium 

contamination of drinking water when 

flow path length and filtration time are 

sufficient (Berger, 2002; Hiscock and 

Grischek, 2002; Gollnitz et al., 2003) 

besides removing some pesticides and 

pharmaceuticals (Kuehn and Mueller, 

2000). Undesirable effects of bank 

filtration on water quality can include 

increases in hardness, ammonium and 

dissolved iron and manganese concentrations 

and the formation of hydrogen 

sulphide and other malodorous sulphur 

compounds as a result of changing redox 

conditions (Hiscock and Grischek, 

2002). 

Currently RBF study is not well documented 

in Malaysia. The development 

is hindered by big project such as inter 

basins water transfer. As more rivers are 

getting polluted, such scheme could 

not materialise in the near future. In 

view of the future needs emphasizing 

on resource abstraction, 

a group of 

researchers from Universiti 

Sains Malaysia 

(USM) has embarked 

on the exploration 

of this untapped resource. 

A proposal was 

made to the then Ministry 

of Higher Education 

for an integrated 

approach gathering 

researchers from different 

institutions to 

research on specific 

topics ranging from 

resource abstraction 

to t reatment. USM 

researchers are focusing 

on resource 

abstraction whereas 

those from Universiti 

Teknologi Malaysia 

(UTM) are focusing on 

treatment methodology. Collaborations 

were also made with researchers from 

Universiti Malaya, UiTM and NAHRIM. 

Three river basins were chosen based 

on the environmental issues, water demand, 

site availability, comparison of 

study parameters as well as economic 

distance of sites from USM. These sites 

are Langat, Perak and Kerian rivers basins. 

This paper will focus on the Langat 

river basin. 

RESEARCH APPROACH 

Under a Long Term Research Grant 

Scheme (LRGS), USM and UTM research 

teams are focussing on a niche area of 

water security for a period of 5 years. 

The research covers aspects of resource 

abstraction using river bed/bank filtration, 

advance water treatment and 

social study. The integrated approach 

of the research project is shown in Figure 

1. The total grant to be allocated for this 

project is RM4.56 million. 

The study site for Langat river basin 

is located at Kg Jenderam Hilir, Dengkil 

which is approximately 4 km to the south 

of raw water intake of SYABAS water 

treatment plant. The latter is currently 

taking raw water from Sg. Langat to 

be treated and supplied for public 

water supply to the surrounding areas. 

As the RBF site is situated downstream 

of the water treatment plant, future 

comparison on the cost of treatment 

and the viability of RBF as an alternative 

source is plausible in the context of its 

application. 

GEOLOGY OF THE AREA 

The Langat Basin has an area of about 

2,100 km 2 , and which comprises about 

1,155 km2 of hilly and mountainous 

terrain and 945 km 2 of coastal plain. 

Figure 2 shows the general geological 

map of the Langat Basin. The bedrock 

Figure 2 : Geology of Langat Basin 

in the mountainous area includes Permian 

igneous rocks and Pre-Devonian 

schist and phyllite of the Hawthornden 

Formation. Hawthornden Formation 

rocks are highly deformed and have 

undergone two phases of deformation 

(Gobbet and Hutchison 1973). The predominant 

rocks in the foothills include 

Permo-Carboniferous meta-sandstone, 

quartzite, slates, phyllites and quartz 

schist of Kenny Hill Formation. 

On the coastal plain, Quaternary deposits 

of the Simpang, Kempadang, 

Gula, and Beruas Formation are found. 

There is also unconformable overlay 

eroded bedrock consisting of gravel, 

sand, silt, and clay that have been 

unconsolidated from the Palaeocene 

through the Holocene period, which 

have progressively grown younger and 

thicker toward the coast (Gobbet and 

Hutchison 1973). In general, these sediments 

grade downward from gravel to 

clay, and are deposited in fluvial and 

shallow marine environments. Coarse 

to very-coarse sandy gravel of the 

Simpang Formation (Palaeocene to 

Pliocene) at the base of the Quaternary 

strata is considered to be the primary 

aquifer of the Langat Basin. Typically, 

the aquifer near the foothills has a 

thickness of several metres, and varies 

from about 50 m to more than 100 m further 

toward the coast (JICA and MGD 

2002). The geology of the Sepang and 

Kuala Langat District is characterized 

by the Kenny Hill Formation, Schist Hawthorden, 

granite, and alluvium (Abdullah 

Sani 1985). The Kenny Hill Formation, 

Hawthorden, and granite have a series 

of faults. The geology of the study area 

consists of phyllite, schists, slate and 

sandstone layers, which alternate with 

the Kenny Hill Formation with some conglomerates 

overlain by alluvium consisting 

of sand, gravel, clay, and silt. 



POTENTIAL OF RIVERBANK FILTRATION 

A pumping well has been constructed by NAHRIM and the 

borehole log is shown in Figure 3. From the borehole it can be 

deciphered that this area is rich in alluvial soil which is a good 

potential for raw water. A resistivity survey was conducted 

by USM team to understand the underneath soil stratification 

and the layout of resistivity lines are shown in Figure 4. Details 

of Lines 6 and 7 which passed through the pumping well are 

shown in Figures 6 and 7. From the resistivity survey (included 

other lines as shown in Figure 4), it has revealed further data 

on the soil stratification within this alluvial basin which reinforces 

our findings that it has suitable soil for water abstraction. 

Thus observation wells have been constructed as shown 

in Figure 7. 

Figure 5 : Line 6 

Figure 6 : Line 7 

Figure 3 : Borehole log of pumping well at Jenderam Hilir, 

Dengkil, Selangor. 

Figure 7 : Layout of pumping well and monitoring wells 

prior to pumping test. 

Figure 4 : Layout for resistivity survey lines 

In order to ascertain the potential of this location for water 

source abstraction, pumping test needs to be carried out. 

Prior to pumping test, a step test was carried out in order to 

make a judgement on the abstraction rate. Results from step 

tests are shown in Tables 1, 2 and Figure 8. From these results 

the drawdown at a flow rate of 142.21 m3 per hour (3.4 million 

litres per day) after 120 minutes is only 1.73m from the original 

static water level in the pumping well. 

During the step tests, a resistivity survey was also conducted. 

The result is shown in Figure 9 which revealed concentration 

of blue colour element surrounding the pumping well. 

However further refinement could be done if several resistivity 

lines were made. 



Table 1: Raw data for step drawdown test (0 to 7.5 minutes) 

Table 2: Raw data for step drawdown test (10 to 100 minutes) 



Figure 8 : Graph of step tests 

Figure 9 : Resistivity survey during step tests 

A Malaysian River with potential for exploration in river bed/bank 

filtration. 

CONCLUSION 

Initial results from this study, which was 

funded by Ministry of Education under 

LRGS, on water security entitled “Protection 

of Drinking Water for Society: 

Source abstraction and treatment” has 

shown the light at the end of the tunnel. 

Langat basin in Selangor has great 

potential for riverbank/bed filtration 

for resource abstraction. The players 

in drinking water industry should embark 

on this agenda as initial results on 

turbidity and pathogenic organisms’ 

removal using laboratory model currently 

conducted in USM has also shown 

promising results. 


MWA Activities 

25th Annual General Meeting 

MWA 25th AGM was attended by 

approximately 100 members at 

The Club, Bukit Utama, Petaling Jaya 

on 27 April 2013. The announcement 

of new MWA Office Bearers took 

place after the conclusion of the 

AGM. Following is the list of Council 

Members for 2013/2015 Session: 

President: 

• Ir. Syed Mohamed Adnan Mansor 

Alhabshi 

Deputy President: 

• Ir. V Subramaniam 

Vice Presidents: 

• Mr. Sutekno bin Ahmad Belon 

• Prof. Ir. Hj. Mohamed Haniffa bin 

Abdul Hamid 

Immediate Past President: 

• Mr. Ahmad Zahdi bin Jamil 

Hon. Secretary General 

• Ir. Hj. Mohmad Asari bin Daud 

Hon. Treasurer General 

• Dato’ Ir. Hj. Zainal bin Bachik 

Ordinary Council Members: 

• Mdm. Amy Yew 

• Ir. Zulkiflee bin Ab Hamid 

• Ir. Beh Hong Lin 

• Ir. Tham Yee Kiong 

• Ir. Ong Guan Hock 

• Ir. Lim Soon Guan 

• Mr. Mansor bin Abdul Ghani 

• Mr. Sofian bin Salleh 

• Mr. Shaharis bin Saad 

• Mr. Mohamad Hairi bin Basri 

• Mr. Shamsul Fahmi bin Mohd 

Padzli 

Two newly appointed Council 

Members are En. Mohamad Hairi 

bin Basri and En. Shamsul Fahmi bin 

Mohamad Padzli. 

Outgoing President chairing the AGM 

Handing over of office from previous session (2011/2013) 

to new session (2013/2015) 

Participants at AGM 

AGM in progress 

MWA former Presidents, Dato’ Ir. Hj. Wan Ngah (left) and 

Dato’ Ir. Syed Muhammad Shahabudin sharing a light 

moment after the AGM 



Annual Meeting of All-Malaysia District Water Engineers Action 

Committee 

The Annual Meeting of All-Malaysia 

District Water Engineers Action 

Committee was convened to 

enable Malaysian District Water Engineers 

to exchange ideas and provide 

feedback with the objective 

of enhancing and creating a structured 

and effective water supply 

management system. The theme 

for Year 2012 was "ICT Application: 

Role of Sustaining Malaysia’s Water 

Supply Management”. The meeting 

commenced on December 11- 

13, 2012 at Johor Bharu with SAJ 

Holdings acting as host. MWA was 

invited to take part in the exhibition 

in conjunction with the meeting. 

All-Malaysia District Water Engineers Action Committee 

Annual Meeting in JB 

MyWA invited Mr Brian John Allum, UK Water Specialist 

to share his views on national water supply training 

skills. 

MWA Visit to Pahang-Selangor Raw Water Transfer Project Site 

On 30 January 2013, about 20 

members participated in a visit 

to the raw water transfer project 

site in Hulu Langat. Members were 

brought to the site after a short briefing 

at the Project Office. The visit 

concluded with a lunch hosted by 

the team and a Q&A session. MWA 

will arrange for a subscequent visit to 

Karak at a future date. 

Project Overview 

The Pahang-Selangor Raw Water 

Transfer Project is intended to convey 

1,890 million litres per day of raw water 

from Karak, Pahang to Hulu Langat, 

Selangor through twin pipelines 

and a water transfer tunnel. The water 

will be treated at the proposed 

Langat II Water Treatment Plant for 

distribution within Klang Valley and 

its vicinity. The scheme is designed 

to meet projected water demand 

until year 2025. 

MWA members posing at Water Transfer Tunnel 

MWA members witnessing the progress of tunnel 

construction 

MWA members at the Project Team Office in Hulu 

Langat 



Water Malaysia 2013 Gathers Professionals 

The curtain dropped on yet another 

successful staging of Water Malaysia 

2013 Conference and Exhibition (WM 

2013) on April 25, 2013. Held over a period 

of three days at Kuala Lumpur Convention 

Centre and co-organised by 

Malaysian Water Association (WMA) and 

PROTEMP Exhibitions Sendirian Berhad, 

Water Malaysia 2013 brought a perennially 

important and pressing issue back to 

the table: the sustainability and efficiency 

of our water and wastewater management, 

focusing on the right price for quality 

of service. 

The seventh WM2013 featured exhibitors 

from around the world showcasing 

the latest cutting edge technologies 

in the water services industry. Running in 

conjunction with WM2013 were Irrigation 

& Drainage 2013, Water Loss Asia 2013 

and Water Resources Management 

2013. 

The keynote lectures at the conference 

dealt with water tariffs, sewerage 

charges and consumer expectations. The 

speakers included Dato’ Teo Yen Hua of 

SPAN (National Water Services Commission), 

the regulatory agency of Malaysia 

and Datuk Abdul Kadir Mohammad Din, 

CEO of Indah Water Konsortium. 

A panel discussion themed ‘the price 

of quality water services’ was chaired 

by Mr Ahmad Zahdi Jamil, outgoing 

President of Malaysia Water Association. 

Some of the other themes at the conference 

were ‘operating efficiency’, ‘consumer 

and tariff’, ‘delivering quality services’, 

‘water loss reduction’, ‘treatment 

and asset management’ and ‘water 

resources management’ 

After the keynote lectures, the opening 

ceremony was launched, in the afternoon 

on the first day of WM2013 event, 

by the Secretary-General of the Energy, 

Green Technology and Water Ministry of 

Malaysia (KeTTHA), Datuk Loo Took Gee. 

In her speech as Guest of Honour, she appreciated 

the contribution of the outgoing 

president Mr Ahmad. She highlighted 

the disparity between the assets of the 

water sector which stood at about RM3 

billion (US$993 million) compared to the 

RM32 billion of the power sector in Malaysia. 

There were side programmes arranged 

during the Opening Ceremony 

i.e. presentation of Certificates on “Skim 

Produk Cekap Air” (Water Efficiency 

Product Scheme) by SPAN and Competency 

Certificates by Malaysian Water 

Academy (MyWA). A video on “Launching 

of Water Asset Management System” 

by PAAB was also presented. 

A Press Conference was conducted 

and the ceremony was concluded with 

a tour to the exhibition hall by the Guest 

of Honour and other VIPs. 

In the press conference, Dato' Teo 

said SPAN is in the process of implement- 

Dato’ Seri DiRaja Tajol Rosli Ghazali of PAAB – Chief 

Custodian of National Water Assets (seated left) 

Networking opportunity during the tea break 

Datuk Loo officiating the opening ceremony as Guestof-Honour 

Panel Discussion on “The Right Price for Quality Service” 



Datuk Loo visiting one of the exhibition booths 

Regulators and MWA at the press conference 

Serious participants at the Water Malaysia International 

Conference 2013 

Participants having two-way dialogue with the 

conference speakers 

ing a new water tariff setting mechanism 

in order that the price of treated water 

in Malaysia would reflect the right price 

for quality services. According to him, it 

could take six months to a year more to 

put the new tariff setting mechanism in 

place. 

Saying that the different approaches 

in tariff setting and structure mechanism 

in the past was not standard, Dato Teo 

added that water operators should increase 

efficiency and deliver good water 

services. He elaborated that good 

services include uninterrupted flow at 

good pressure and good quality water 

which could be consumed directly from 

the pipe. 

“According to the World Health Organisation, 

water usage was about 160 litres 

a day per person and a certain block 

of water is required by everyone so SPAN 

would need to ensure that everyone especially 

the poor could still afford the new 

pricing,’ explained Dato’ Teo. 

At a press briefing Mr Ahmad said the 

water tariffs set by the government in future 

will not be a burden to the people as 

the rate imposed on the people will be 3 

to 5% of average household disposable 

income. 

The biennial exhibition, which attracted 

some 150 booths, featured equipment 

for pressure management, storm-water 

management, leakage detection, meter-testing, 

geospatial data recording , 

wastewater operations and many other 

applications. 

Free water technological seminars 

were conducted onsite throughout the 

3-day WM2013 event. Leading experts 

from the exhibitor booths came forward 

on stage to demonstrate how their latest 

technological products and services 

could benefit the local water industry. The 

latest technological advances shared 

were in respect of intelligent control on 

pressure management, low-impact inpipe 

inspection technologies for leak 

detection and condition assessment, the 

necessary detection of leakage in trunk 

mains, and repairing mains under pressure 

to reduce impact on consumers. 

A workshop on Non-Revenue Water 

(NRW) was held on the last day which 

mainly focussed on physical losses. Topics 

such as active leakage control, leak 

repairs, pressure management and asset 

management were taken up in detail by 

NRW experts. 

Over the years, Water Malaysia has 

become an important platform for professionals 

in the Malaysian water services 

sector to share technologies and experiences. 

MWA thanked all supporters namely 

KeTTHA, Jabatan Bekalan Air, SPAN and 

Pengurusan Aset Air Berhad,sponsors and 

participants for this successfully concluded 

WM 2013 event. 



Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony between Malaysian Water Academy and Ministry of Energy, 

Green Technology and Water at the 1 st Malaysia National Sewerage Conference 

18 June 2013, The Royale Chulan, Kuala Lumpur. 

Scene at the 1 st Malaysia National Sewerage Conference, 17-18 June 2013 

The Conference was managed by Malaysian Water Academy Sdn Bhd 


Educational & Training 

Water Treatment Plant Competency 

Course (WTPCC) conducted by MyWA 

Hands-on practice session on lab equipment for water operators taking part in the Water Treatment Plant Operator 

Competency Course (Level 2) 



Training for Certified Environmental 

Professional in Sewage Treatment 

Plant Operation (CePSTPO) conducted by MyWA 

Participants of CePSTPO at site undertaking their practical 

training 

Participants paying full attention to a lecturer during the 

theory lessons 

More on site training and lectures 



Group photo after the Certificate presentation for ‘Water Treatment Plant Competency Course 

(Level 2)’ during the opening of Water Malaysia 2013 

23 April 2013, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre 

Participants receiving their certificates from YBhg. Dato’ Teo Yen Hua for Treatment Plant Competency 

Course (Level 2) during the the opening of Water Malaysia 2013 

on 23 April 2013, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre 



Datuk Loo presenting a certificate to a course participant while 

Dato’ Teo and Encik Ahmad Zahdi were witnessing the ceremony 


Country Focus 

Kuala Lumpur’s experience 

with water reforms 

by Singaravelloo Kuppusamy and Siew Hooi Tan 

Courtesy of NS Shah 

The capital of Malaysia continues to negotiate restructuring its water sector. Here is an 

overview of the city’s experiments with managing water supply and distribution. 

Water supply in Kuala Lumpur is closely linked to Selangor 

state through one water utility company. This 

is because the city of Kuala Lumpur has close historical 

connections with Selangor, being its capital from 1880 to 

1978. In 1974, Kuala Lumpur became a federal territory 

under the federal government. 

Kuala Lumpur is not large at 242 km 2 but more than half 

is built up. High population growth means increasing future 

demand for water. Kuala Lumpur is entirely dependent on 

Selangor for its water supply. 

Institutional Setting and Governance 

Under the Federal Constitution, state governments are 

responsible for water supplies. In the 1990s, structural 

changes in the water services industry occurred across the 

country with the corporatisation of water supply agencies 

in some states, full privatisation in others, and adoption 

of a dual system of public control of distribution and privatisation 

of water treatment services in some. Selangor 

opted for full privatisation. 

State governments were trying to upgrade and expand 

their water networks, turning to the Federal Government 

for grants or loans. Many were unable to repay the loans. 

A water crisis in 1998 and a National Water Resources Study 

in 2000 prompted the federal government to intervene 

directly in the state water industry. The study had recommended 

reforms and identified various issues such as 

water shortages. At that time, water supply services were 

managed by the respective state governments. 

The reforms were two-fold. First, the Federal Constitution 

was amended to place water services into the 

Concurrent List. Second, water-related agencies were 

consolidated and placed under federal jurisdiction. 

Water sources, water catchment areas and river basins 

remained under the control of state governments, which 

would receive royalties from the water utility companies 

and federal assistance. 

The management of water supply in Kuala Lumpur 

is in accordance with the Water Supply Act 1998, which 

provides for the supply and distribution of water in Kuala 

Lumpur. However, it merely supports all laws affecting 

water supply and distribution in Selangor. Two major 

legislations in 2006 govern the water services industry in 

Selangor. They are the National Water Services Commission 

Act 2006 (SPAN Act 2006) and the Water Services 

Industry Act (WSIA) 2006. The latter regulates water supply 

and sewerage services in Peninsular Malaysia and the 

Federal Territory of Labuan. 

Under the SPAN Act 2006, the National Water Services 

Commission or Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Air Negara 

(SPAN) was established in 2007 as a water regulatory 

body for Peninsular Malaysia and the Federal Territory 

of Labuan to address issues such as poor water quality, 

supply, NRW, leaks, pilferage, arrears in unpaid bills as 

well as interstate disparity in tariffs, enforcement, and 

performance of water utilities. 

SPAN is empowered to issue licences to operators and 

contractors, and to regulate them. Each licence is subject 

to renewal every three years. Each operator is required to 

submit a three-year rolling plan and a 30-year business 


Country Focus 

plan to SPAN that show the operator’s road map toward 

full cost recovery, water demand and supply forecasts, 

capital development and its expenditure, expected tariffs, 

actions on NRW, water conservation plan, and a plan 

on how it intends to integrate water supply services with 

sewerage services. 

Further, the WSIA 2006 requires that all other players in 

the industry—such as plumbers, engineers, contractors, 

and material suppliers—are registered with SPAN, which 

serves as a one-stop agency with the right to penalise 

offenders. For revisions of water tariffs, SPAN is entrusted 

with the task of drawing up appropriate water tariffs for 

the approval of the Minister of Energy, Green Technology 

and Water after consultations with consumers via a water 

forum, which is an NGO to represent consumers’ interest. 

With the introduction of SPAN, Lembaga Urus Air Selangor 

(LUAS) or Selangor Water Management Authority remains 

as a state water regulatory body, while SPAN performs the 

regulatory role at the national level. 

The WSIA 2006 governs the water services industry 

from treatment of raw water to discharge of wastewater. 

It transfers the supervision of all water services to the federal 

government. The underlying reasons are the federal 

government has the resources to finance the high cost of 

infrastructure and water services would be standardised 

throughout Peninsular Malaysia.Pengurusan Aset Air 

Berhad (PAAB) or Water Asset Management Company 

was established in 2006 as a wholly-owned federal company 

to take over all water assets of state governments, 

refurbish and upgrade existing water infrastructure, and 

construct new infrastructure. Water operators can lease 

the water assets for a stipulated period of time. PAAB is not 

a profit-oriented organisation and lease rentals charged 

are based on the operators’ ability to pay. 

The WSIA 2006 and SPAN Act 2006 allow for the existing 

private sector players in Selangor (and Kuala Lumpur) to 

continue to operate. Private water treatment and distribution 

companies in Selangor are to carry on except under 

a different mandate and are now accountable 

to the federal government. 

The migration process under the WSIA 

2006 for Selangor (and Kuala Lumpur) is 

not finalised. The State Government of 

Selangor is negotiating to purchase the 

water assets from the concessionaires 

in the state. 

Water Resources 

The supply of water to consumers in 

Kuala Lumpur began in 1896 under 

the Public Works Department. It was 

subsequently decentralized to the 

Selangor Water Supply Department 

or Jabatan Bekalan Air Selangor (JBAS) 

in 1972. 

Selangor has seven major rivers and/ 

or river basin systems and six impounded 

reservoirs, which supply water to Syarikat 

Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn. Bhd.’s (SYABAS) 

entire service area of Selangor, Kuala 

Lumpur, and Putrajaya. A water scheme 

was developed in three stages at Sungai 

Selangor to meet long-term demand 

although water shortages could 

continue to occur. 

Total water treatment capacity per day in the service 

area rose from 3.43 million m 3 (mcm) in 2000 to 4.48 mcm 

in 2005. Total water production per day was 86.8% of the 

treatment plant capacity in 2008. Per capita production 

was in the range of 0.58–0.59 m 3 per day during 

2005–2008. 

SYABAS buys treated water from the three water treatment 

operators in Selangor. 

Of this, it receives 672,000 m 3 of treated water a day 

from the treatment plants to supply to Kuala Lumpur and 

part of Petaling, Klang, and Gombak. Production from 

the water treatment plants is metered. 

Water quality and water service reliability 

Water quality in Malaysia is set to meet the national standards 

which adhere to WHO guidelines. The Ministry of 

Health carries out surveillance on water quality at treatment 

plants and distribution systems. Private treatment 

plants are subject to stringent controls over quality monitoring, 

air scouring of reticulation mains, and cleaning of 

reservoirs. They undertake sampling at points along the 

pipes and at meter points as a precautionary measure. 

On the distribution side, SYABAS carries out monitoring 

and continuous improvement works on the distribution 

system. 

The entire Kuala Lumpur has continuous access to 

piped water. Tankers are only used when there is an 

unscheduled major disruption to water supply. The total 

length of the water supply network in Kuala Lumpur has 

risen since 2005, reaching 2,326 km in 2008. This represented 

9.9% of the total network under SYABAS management. 

Water pipes in Kuala Lumpur are old; some are at least 

35 years old. This explains the large number of recorded 

water pipe breaks. The aging pipes also caused leaks 

that, in 2008, numbered 497 per 100 km of potable water 

pipeline. 

Water metering is mandatory for all consumer connections. 

All residential, commercial, and industrial premises 

in Kuala Lumpur are served by direct individual tap connections 

or bulk connections in high-rise buildings. For 

bulk connections, the building management charges fees 

based on bulk meter readings and the floor space occupied 

by each unit. The number of connections in Kuala 

Lumpur rose from 170,344 in 2005 to 175,751 in 2008. 

Non-revenue Water 

Of the 175,751 connections in Kuala Lumpur in 2008, 95.3% 

had operating meters. The remaining meters had defects 

and there was 80% performance in terms of responsiveness 

to defaults by SYABAS. 

NRW affects the revenue of a water utility and the recovery 

of capital and operating costs. Under JBAS, NRW 

was 36% in 1998 and 37% in 1999. After privatisation in 2005, 

SYABAS was able to reduce NRW to 34% by 2008. It has set 

a target of 15% by 2015. 

NRW in Kuala Lumpur is caused by several factors, 

which include consumption via legal connections of public 

facilities that could not be billed; physical loss of water 

caused by leaks, bursts, damages to pipes and faulty 

fittings; and illegal uses such as non-endorsed diversions 

and pilferages. 

Demand Management 

For Kuala Lumpur and part of Petaling, Klang, and Gombak, 

domestic water consumption was estimated at 60.6% 


Country Focus 

of total water consumption in 2008. Per capita domestic 

consumption was 148 litres per day compared to the 

national average of 185 litres per day. The total average 

per capita consumption was 244 liters per day compared 

to 420 liters per capita per day supplied by water treatment 

plants. 

Water Pricing 

Water tariffs for domestic households are nonlinear and 

structured to penalise those who use more water. Differential 

rates apply to residential, commercial, and industrial 

users. The differential tariff is highest for commercial and 

industrial users. Social considerations are built into the 

tariff structure. Welfare and religious institutions, as well 

as low-cost housing, pay lower rates. 

Tariff rates remained unchanged in Kuala Lumpur from 

1989 to 2001. Revisions took place in 2001 and 2006. Both 

revisions were attributed to privatisation exercises. The 

2001 revision was linked to the corporatisation of JBAS. 

The 2006 revision was in accordance with the concession 

agreement of SYABAS, which allowed for revision every 

three years. 

Consumers in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor also pay 

connection fees, made up of a refundable deposit and 

a fixed installation charge. Domestic users are required to 

pay a minimum deposit of RM100 (US$32); non-domestic 

users pay a minimum deposit of RM500. The rates of the 

installation charge vary with the meter size. 

Public Education and Water Conservation 

There is no national policy on water conservation. The 

tariff structure with differential rates is intended to penalise 

heavy water users. This represents an indirect approach 

to promote water conservation. It has been agreed that 

subsidiary legislations at state level should be enacted to 

mandate installation of dual flush systems in all buildings 

and new housing from June 2002 but this has not been 

done. 

However, SPAN is formulating a new set of uniform 

water supply rules to replace the existing State Water 

Supply Rules. Among other things, it provides for water 

conservation measures and regulation of plumbing to 

accommodate rainwater harvesting. From 1 January 2012, 

it has mandated that all new housing units are required 

to install dual flush WC cisterns. 

Wastewater Management 

Traditionally, local authorities were responsible for sewerage 

services but most were under-performing. The federal 

government concerned over inefficiencies and pollution, 

took over sewerage services in Peninsular Malaysia and 

turned them over to Indah Water Konsortium (IWK). The 

1994 privatisation exercise entailed payment of sewerage 

fees based on the total volume of water usage, and billing 

was to be made directly through the water utility companies. 

Water meters were to be disconnected if sewerage 

payments were not settled. 

In the absence of any statutory regulation, there were 

high incidences of non-payment. This affected IWK’s revenue 

flows, and eventually the mode of incorporating 

the sewerage charges into the water bill had to be abandoned. 

In addition, the federal government reduced the 

sewerage charges three times during this period, causing 

IWK to lose revenue. In 2000, IWK had to be taken over by 

the Minister of Finance Incorporated. 

With a renewed mandate and access to federal funds, 

the restructured IWK started a programme to educate the 

public and take proactive actions to upgrade sewerage 

services. IWK issues half-year bills to users but continues 

to face problems with defaults. It has to rely on civil suits 

to recover outstanding debts, a process which is lengthy. 

With the implementation of the WSIA 2006, IWK began 

to operate with statutory power to take actions against 

defaulters. 

In Kuala Lumpur, IWK has eight regional plants, 227 multipoint 

plants, and also maintains 57,232 individual septic 

tanks. In addition, there are 95 private plants and 5,000 

pour flushes that do not come under IWK’s jurisdiction. In 

such cases, IWK provides service to these locations on 

a need basis. Some hotels and hospitals have their own 

sewage treatment plants. 

The proportion of commercial and residential premises 

in Kuala Lumpur with access to IWK-operated sanitation 

system rose from 73.5% in 1998 to 90.1% in 2008. Wastewater 

treatment capacity increased at an average annual 

rate of 6.5%. However, it was still lower than the expansion 

in the volume of wastewater discharged in the city. 

By 2004, IWK’s capacity could not match rising demand. 

While it expanded capacity, the volume of wastewater 

discharged continued to rise. By 2008, although all its 

plants were operating at full capacity, IWK could only treat 

91% of the volume of wastewater discharged. 

A major constraint is finance; funds to upgrade and 

improve services are limited. IWK has to oversee non-operating, 

under-loaded and overloaded plants. In addition, 

illegal discharges into the sewers by industries overload 

its plants, pushing up maintenance costs, and causing 

blockages and disruptions in the system. It does not have 

full control over the entire sewerage system. Hence, when 

private plants violate the Environmental Quality Act 1974 

and pollute the rivers, IWK is frequently blamed, a problem 

that would hopefully be resolved with SPAN taking over 

the regulation of water and sewerage services. 

Privatisation of sewerage services does have positive 

impacts on sewerage services in Kuala Lumpur. Although 

the number of disruptions increased from 4,347in 1998 to 

5,477 in 2008, the number of disruptions per 1,000 km of 

sewer line declined by 50%. This is because the length of 

sewers increased more rapidly. 

Storm water Management 

Flash floods are a problem in Kuala Lumpur but not major 

floods. The last recorded major flood was in 1971. Although 

heavy rainfall contributes to floods in the city, other factors 

include intensive development, blockages in urban 

drains by pollutants, and sedimentation of rivers. The infrastructure 

development of main rivers in Kuala Lumpur 

is managed largely by the Federal Territory Department 

of Irrigation and Drainage with support from the Drain- 

Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel 

(SMART),KL 

Courtesy of Gamuda Berhad 


Country Focus 

age and River Management Department of Dewan 

Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL).It is DBKL’s responsibility 

to manage urban drainage in the city including small 

rivers and storm drains that link to the main rivers in the 

city. It set up rubbish traps at 15 locations in the small rivers 

under its care. It also carried out desilting, upgrading, 

and maintenance works spanning about 350km of minor 

rivers and storm water drains. Despite these, flash floods 

continued to occur during downpours. 

Faced with the need to address frequent flooding, the 

federal government went into a partnership with a private 

firm to construct the Storm water Management and Road 

Tunnel (SMART) as a demonstration project to curb flash 

floods in Kuala Lumpur. SMART is an RM 1.93 billion project 

to re-direct excess floodwater from Sungai Klang and 

Sungai Ampang into holding ponds. It was developed on 

a cost-sharing basis. 

At other times, SMART serves as a motorway for light 

motor vehicles. But during heavy storms, the tunnel is 

closed to road traffic and it channels excess floodwater 

into retention ponds. Since commencement of operations 

in 2007, SMART has managed to avert at least 114 flood 

events. The tunnel was designed to prevent flash floods 

from the overflow of the two rivers and does not prevent 

flooding throughout the entire city. But it is a good example 

of how effective PPP can tackle the city’s problems. 

Private Sector Participation 

In Malaysia, the State Government of Selangor was among 

the pioneers when it corporatised JBAS into PUAS in 2002. 

It also privatised its reservoirs and treatment plants under 

30-year concession agreements to three firms, namely 

Puncak Niaga (M) Sdn. Bhd., Syarikat Pengeluar Air Sungai 

Selangor Sdn. Bhd. (SPLASH),and Konsortium ABASS Sdn. 

Bhd. On 15 December 2004, the state government signed 

an agreement with SYABAS and the federal government 

to transfer the responsibilities of PUAS to SYABAS, a private 

form in which the state government holds equity together 

with Puncak Niaga Holdings Bhd. SYABAS was also given 

a 30-year concession to distribute water to more than 7.3 

million domestic, industrial, and commercial consumers, 

making it the largest privatised water supply scheme in 

the country. 

In Kuala Lumpur, the provision of water, water treatment, 

and sewerage and storm water services was 

gradually privatised under federal jurisdiction through 

the WSIA2006. The privatisation model evolved from full 

privatisation where the private sector is fully responsible for 

all costs of infrastructure to one that favours PPP. This shift 

towards a PPP model reflects a change in the federal government’s 

policy to focus on making privatised services 

more efficient and cost-effective and to address public 

complaints on rising prices and poor services. 

Earlier examples in the privatisation of IWK and the 

corporatisation of JBAS into PUAS have revealed weaknesses 

in the full privatisation model. Furthermore, previous 

privatisation efforts in Kuala Lumpur were perceived by 

the public to have undertones of political involvement 

and questionable motives. 

Customer Satisfaction 

SYABAS have put in place a dedicated 24-hour call 

centre, PUSPEL, to receive public complaints. For water 

distribution service, the number of complaints fluctuated 

during 1998–2008. Under JBAS and subsequently PUAS, 

the number of complaints was stable at about 100,000 

a year. However, immediately after the privatisation of 

PUAS’ responsibilities, the number of complaints increased. 

Possible reasons for this could be a general discontent 

among the public over the privatisation exercise, higher 

expectations, under-reporting by the previous management, 

and an improved system of collecting and collating 

public complaints that included newspapers and other 

media, which were not done previously. SYABAS took steps 

to reduce the complaints to 100,000 a year but in absolute 

terms, this remained high. 

In Kuala Lumpur, SYABAS received 40.4% of its total 

number of complaints in 2008. Almost three-quarters were 

on disruptions of water services, water tankers, leakages, 

broken pipes, and low pressure. The remaining complaints 

comprised dissatisfaction over meter disconnections, billings, 

meter-related issues, and others. Records for 2008 

Courtesy of Gamuda Berhad 

One of the Water Treatment Plants supplying water to the Klang Valley 


Country Focus 

showed that 99.9% of such complaints were resolved. 

Financial Resource Management 

During 1998–2008, revenue growth of the water supply 

service provider was strong, reaching an average 

annual rate of 14%. In absolute terms, annual revenue 

increased from RM399 million in 1998 to RM1.5 billion in 

2008 because of expansion of new accounts. Operating 

revenue rose significantly in 2002 after corporatisation, 

reaching more than double the amount in 1998. Another 

marked increase was in 2005 after privatisation when 

SYABAS’s annual collections rose above RM1 billion. Annual 

billings also increased although after 2006, these 

declined largely because of a reduction in repeat billings 

to recoup arrears. 

Revenue collection efficiency estimated from 2003 to 

2008 showed an improvement from 78 to 91%. There were 

fluctuations in the efficiency rate but the decline was 

likely due to changes in management during the period 

reviewed.When Syabas took over in 2005, the efficiency 

dropped but after the transition period, it reverted to 

reach a high of 91% in 2008. 

Annual debts arising from nonpayment of billed water 

consumption declined as revenue collection efficiency 

increased. On a monthly basis, improvements were 

observed after privatisation, with accounts receivable 

in month’s equivalent declining from about 3.5 months 

during the transition period to less than two months in 

2008. This was because SYABAS enforced the law to disconnect 

water supply on errant accounts and to charge 

reconnection fees. 

The increase in revenue was accompanied by rising 

annual O&M costs. While operating revenue increased to 

more than 3.5 times the base year’s level by 2008, annual 

O&M costs increased more moderately. The gap resulted 

in a better operating ratio of 0.86 in 2008. 

Grants were used to help the state water utilities. JBAS 

received development grants from the State Government 

of Selangor; it also borrowed from the federal government 

to finance capital expenditure. In 2001, JBAS took a grant 

of RM432.3 million to construct the Sungai Selangor Dam. 

When water services were corporatised in 2002, the state 

government stopped the grants. However, when SYABAS 

took over, it managed to negotiate for a one-off grant 

amounting to almost RM250 million to help resolve the 

NRW issue. 

Human Resource Management 

The total staff strength of the water services industry 

(excluding water treatment and sewerage services) increased 

significantly from 1,317 in 1998 to 2,268 in 2005 

when the service was privatised. SYABAS’s staff strength 

was 3,021 in 2008. 

The number of employees in the water distribution 

services almost trebled when total connections in the 

service area increased. The ratio of staff to connections 

rose from 1.5 per 1,000 connections in 2005 to 1.9 in 2008 

when SYABAS absorbed 95% of PUAS employees. This implies 

that more employees were hired after the SYABAS 

takeover. 

The average annual salary of employees was estimated 

to be in the range of RM30,000–RM41,000 during 

2003–2008 . The large number of workers means that the 

ratio of non-management and/or field staff to professional 

staff is very high, which means that the implied monthly 

salary of RM3,000 would be relatively high when compared 

with that in the public sector. 

In the case of highly skilled professionals, the gap in 

remunerations tended to favour the private sector. The 

annual remunerations of the four top management staff 

(executive directors) in SYABAS averaged RM115,500 per 

person in 2007. In 2008, the average remuneration was 

RM186,100 per person. Compared to other large private 

firms, this might not be very competitive, but against the 

public sector, it was. 

Lessons 

PPP as a preferred model: The Kuala Lumpur experience 

shows that privatisation has positive impacts on the delivery 

of water services. When SYABAS took over, it faced 

problems over high NRW and poor water quality. The 

company installed a 24-hour helpline, embarked on a 

pipe replacement programme, and reduced NRW from 

38% to 34% within four years. 

Initially, there was complete reliance on the private 

sector for finances. But there were obstacles mainly in raising 

funds from the private money market. The borrowing 

terms could be relatively stringent and the private utilities 

were unable to guarantee payments of debts. 

To overcome this, private utility firms focused on improving 

revenue collection and reducing operating costs. 

This approach, however, was not sustainable nor were 

they able to raise sufficient amounts for heavy capital 

investment. In the case of IWK, the situation was even 

more precarious as it was operating in the absence of a 

legal framework to allow it to change the tariff structure 

or take actions against defaulters. 

While private sector participation is a way forward, it 

is important to consider that the industry involves major 

capital infrastructure investment, the costs of which are 

high and often are beyond the private firms’ financial 

capacity. It may be better to look into a PPP model as an 

alternative. The PPP model brings the government into a 

partnership with the private sector not only to undertake 

and complete major infrastructure projects but also to 

promote efficiency and accountability. 

Establishing an appropriate legislative and institutional 

framework: In Kuala Lumpur, the privatisation of water 

services had proceeded with negligible federal regulation. 

There was no federal oversight of the concessionaires 

in terms of their performance, revenue generated, cost 

ratios, tariffs, and investment. 

The WSIA 2006 is thus an important legislation for the 

water services industry in peninsular Malaysia. For the first 

time, an encompassing legal framework is available to 

regulate the industry. 

Previously, each state had its own water arrangements. 

The result was different water arrangements and tariff 

structures. For states that had corporatised or privatised 

water supply services, tariff increases were built into agreements 

that allowed for periodic revisions of water tariffs 

without corresponding checks on the utility’s improvements 

and cost savings. With the WSIA 2006 and SPAN 

Act 2006 coming into play, it is hoped that the disparity 

in water tariffs among states would narrow and become 

more uniform over time. 

The exercise of drawing up the appropriate legislative 

and institutional framework is referred to as the nationalisation 

of the water services industry in the country. In 

a federal structure like Malaysia, it is a “delicate” matter 


Country Focus 

because it involves the states’ position in the Constitution. 

The centralisation of the water services industry in Malaysia 

is necessary mainly because many state governments 

and private concessionaires are unable to invest heavily 

in the requisite infrastructure to address NRW—a major 

water problem in almost all states. 

Although reforms in the water services industry are in 

place, there are still criticisms leveled at the reforms for 

not doing enough to encourage water conservation, 

especially in changing consumer behavior. There is a 

general reluctance among state governments to raise 

water tariffs. The reforms introduce water forums to open 

up dialogues on water tariff issues between SPAN and 

consumer groups. 

Providing a workable funding mechanism using PPP: 

The Kuala Lumpur experience shows that a privatisation 

model that relies completely on the private sector to 

finance infrastructure is not sustainable in the long term. 

For example, the pipe replacement program of SYABAS 

will cost at least RM2.6 billion. It borrowed in the open 

bond market to raise funds. It is facing difficulty in meeting 

debt repayment because it has used tariff reviews that 

are scheduled in the concession agreement to support 

payment. A 37% increase in the water tariff scheduled for 

2009 did not proceed, resulting in SYABAS seeking legal 

discourse. 

In the case of IWK where its earlier privatisation exercise 

failed, its new PPP model where both the government 

and the private sector work jointly to finance the heavy 

investment helped IWK address its funding problems and 

improve its services. 

Another example of PPP in Kuala Lumpur is the SMART 

project. The cost-sharing arrangement with the private 

sector financing only a third of the total cost worked to 

make the flood control project a reality. 

The restructuring of the water services industry by the 

federal government shows a recent trend toward the PPP 

model in the water sector and in other major infrastructure 

projects. Through this, the government has created 

a special funding vehicle for infrastructure investment. In 

the water services industry, it has set up PAAB to rationalise 

all water assets in Peninsular Malaysia. 

In a largely fragmented industry, PAAB will take over the 

water assets of 11 states (excluding Sabah and Sarawak) 

and the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, 

and Labuan. PAAB will repay the owners of the assets, 

take over, and then lease the water assets to private operators, 

which will be licensed by SPAN to carry out their 

tasks. The lease terms will take into consideration the cost 

of assets and funding, viability of the water business, future 

profitability, incentive for operations and maintenance 

of assets. PAAB will invest in new infrastructure, where 

needed. Essentially, PAAB, although a government-owned 

company will operate like any private firm. 

This rationalisation of assets is a complex process, 

made more complicated by the fact that some states 

are under different political parties, and others like Johor 

and Selangor have long-term concessions in the water 

services industry that must be negotiated. By 2013, six 

states—Johor, Melaka, Perak, Penang, Perlis and Negeri 

Sembilan—had completed the migration to the new 

model with the assets transferred to PAAB. Among the 

other states, Selangor’s situation is the most fragmented 

with four concession-based private operators, and a state 

government with a different political philosophy from the 

federal government. 

Excerpt from the book “Good Practices in Urban Water Management: Decoding Good Practices for a Successful Future” 

by Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore. Edited by AnandChiplunkar, 

Kallidaikurichi Seetharam & Cheon Kheong Tan. The article was first published by Asian Development Bank in 

July 2012 and subsequently by Asian Water in their March/April 2013 Issue under the heading “Kuala Lumpur’s 

Experiments with Water”. 


Special Interviews 

Our work is dirty, difficult 

and dangerous, says 

Malaysia sewerage chief 

Datuk Ir Abdul Kadir Mohammad Din, CEO of Indah Water Konsortium 

(IWK), Malaysia’s national sewerage agency discusses 

the challenges of treating wastewater, managing sludge, reducing 

energy footprints and communicating with people who 

just flush and forget. 

Q 

: Could you give us your thoughts 

about managing wastewater 

systems at national versus local levels? 

It is nearly 20 years since IWK has 

been centrally managing wastewater 

services. 

AKM : It is a fact that sewerage is a 

low priority matter compared to other 

utilities, thus it is best it remains at a 

national level where the country’s best 

interests are paramount. We have seen 

that in areas where sewerage management 

is not under IWK the services 

can be further relegated down the 

priority list. In my opinion, sewerage 

development can be holistically implemented 

only when it is managed at the 

national level. This provides adequate 

opportunities for the industry players 

to be involved in various levels towards 

the sustainability and contributing to 

economic growth whilst taking care 

of the environment and community 

wellbeing. 

We have received many accolades 

at the national level; the entire 

landscape of sewerage development 

and management has changed for 

the better; more regional plants have 

been developed that are able to treat 

sewage effectively for enhanced environmental 

quality; sewage sludge is 

handled and managed well; we have 

embarked on standardising the design, 

development, O&M of sewerage 

infrastructure throughout the country 

for which standards, guidelines, and 

specifications were introduced; we 

have managed to develop a trained 

workforce which has the skill to operate 

and maintain sewerage systems 

in any part of the country. Additionally, 

we are able to roll out continuous 

improvement plans such as R&D and 

innovations at the national level. 

We have also initiated capacity 

building programmes in Asian countries, 

such as Vietnam, Indonesia, 

India and Philippines. These were 

conducted through USAID-supported 

partnership twinning programme to 

help improve their sewerage management. 

Our work has been recognised 

by the international media. We have 

been visited by Bill and Melinda Gates 

Foundation, Water Sanitation Africa, 

and officials from Bhutan, India and 

Oman seeking to learn from us. We 

OPERATOR 

Datuk Ir Abdul Kadir 

Mohammad Din 

IWK TOTAL OPERATIONAL AREA AND POPULATION SERVED 

IWK 98,642 74.45 19,821,353 59% 13,496,269 41% 

NON-IWK 

TOTAL 

AREA 

(Sq. Km) 

33,857 25.55 - - 

132,499 100.00 

* Data as of December 2012 

* Exclusive of 2.96 million population utilizing primitive (pour 

flush) systems. 

% 

have a vision to create a water hub 

here in Malaysia to facilitate knowledge 

transfer and our tagline is “Learn 

from the Best”. 

POPULATION EQUIVALENT (PE) 

SERVED BY IWK NOT SERVED BY IWK 

2,332,833 

19,821,353 56% 15,829,102 

100% 

44% 

• Operations only cover 87 of 146 

local authorities in Malaysia. 

• The entire states of Kelantan, 

Sabah, Sarawak, Johor Bahru 

& Pasir Gudang not taken over 

although provided in Concession 

Agreement. 

• Regional development authority 

areas such as KETENGAH & KEJORA 

are excluded. 



Q: Is it preferable or even possible to 

cover the entire country with sewerage 

services and to phase out septic tanks 

completely? 

AKM: IWK’s concession targets that 

85% of the households in urban areas 

(referred as Category A) is provided 

with connected services and the 

remaining 15% provided with septic 

tank whereas in rural areas (referred 

as Category B), 30% of the households 

are provided with connected services 

and the balance 70% provided with 

septic tank. To realise this target, we 

have estimated that RM 52 billion 

(US$16.7 billion) capex investment 

would be required. 

Hence under the National Sewerage 

Development Plan (NSDP), the 

septic tank areas will continue to be 

employed throughout the planning 

period. The ISTs (individual septic 

tanks) are recommended for continued 

use in low density development 

areas where the introduction of a 

piped centralised sewerage system 

is not viable. The NSDP recommends 

that the elimination of septic tanks be 

considered a priority only if considerable 

numbers are located in sensitive 

areas such as upstream of water intake 

points. The property connection will be 

carried out as part of the sewerage 

project. This is also subject to the location 

of the ISTs (reasonable distance to 

the nearest sewer network). It is anticipated 

that the number of ISTs within 

urban areas will increase to a certain 

extent over the plan period, especially 

those areas exhibiting relatively low 

population levels and low development 

densities compared to the main 

urban centres. This programme will be 

carried out in conjunction with the 

regionalisation. 

The percentage of connected 

services in Peninsular Malaysia at 

present is about 70%. The proposed 

NSDP coupled with effective control 

of sewerage infrastructure planned 

and constructed by developers will 

increase the number of areas in where 

regional or localised sewerage systems 

consisting of sewage treatment 

plants (STPs) and sewer networks are 

available. This will enable new developments 

to be connected directly to 

these sewerage systems rather than 

providing separate localised systems. 

A programme of property connection 

is also proposed to extend lateral 

sewers to existing areas where ISTs 

are used, and lay house connection 

pipes to intercept ISTs. This will further 

increase connected services, and 

reduce ISTs. The NSDP will enable the 

percentage of connected services to 

be increased. 

Oxidation Ponds 

1,652,960 PE 

(8%) 

Imhoff Tanks 

721 Nos. 

(8%) 

Population Equivalent (PE) Catered by STP as of December 2012 

Imhoff Tanks 

532,267 PE 

(3%) 

Communal Septic Tanks 

409,487 PE 

(2%) 

Mechanical Plants 

17,636,126 PE 

(87%) 

Types of Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) as of December 2012 

Communal Septic Tanks 

3,631 Nos. 

(38%) 

Mechanical Plants 

4,741 Nos. 

(50%) 

Oxidation Ponds 

418 Nos. 

(4%) 

• Approximately 1.2 million individual 

septic tanks but only 35% are accepting 

scheduled desludging services 

• As of December 2012, the total 

Population Equivalent (PE) Served by 

IWK via connected PE (public plants 

excluding communal septic tanks) is 

19.8 million. 

Q: Even though it is well-known that 

conventional toilets only contaminate 

clean water, why are ecosan toilet 

models not being promoted in the 

country? 

AKM: These days, most Malaysian 

households have complete internal 

toilet facilities. The internal sanitary 

system is built-in with the houses by the 

developer following standard or approved 

plans. Changing the system to 

Ecosan would involve refurbishment of 

the internal sanitary plumbing system, 

the costs of which house owners would 

refuse to absorb or incur. 

There is a remote likelihood of 

clean water contamination from toilet 

wastewater as it is discharged into 

sewer pipes connected to a sewage 

treatment plant or to on-site septic 

tanks. As long as the septic tanks are 

de-sludged periodically, the impact 

of clean water contamination is not 

significant. We are working closely with 

the authorities to encourage premise 

owners to de-sludge their septic tanks 

periodically. 

Nevertheless, where water is scarce 

or its source is not in close proximity 

especially in rural dwellings in some 

parts of Peninsular Malaysia and East 

Malaysia which some may not have 

proper sanitation systems and prac- 

tices, Ecosan could have a potential 

application. 

Q: Could you tell us about the financing 

of sewerage projects? 

AKM: The capex for major sewerage 

development projects are normally 

funded by the Government through 

KeTTHA. Typical capital projects are 

those involving regionalisation, centralised 

sludge treatment facility, property 

connection and construction of new 

treatment plants. Besides, there are 

projects that are driven by developers 

to cater to specific developments. As 

far as possible, all new developments 

are required to be connected to the 

existing plant. But in cases where no 

host plant is available or too far to be 

connected, the developers are allowed 

to construct a new treatment 

plant to cater for the new development 

or to upgrade existing plants which 

have space for expansion for receiving 

additional flows. 

Q: Why is it so difficult to get people to 

pay for sewerage services? 

AKM: The awareness of the need to pay 

for sewerage services is definitely on the 

rise and this reflects in our collection. 

However, there are still those who have 

not paid and will not pay. I believe this is 

due to the fact that they think what we 

do in IWK has nothing to do with them, 

does not affect them thus they refuse 

to pay. IWK plays a necessary role that 

creates ease and comfort. Many do 

realise this fact as they do not have 

to face the nasty circumstances of a 

badly managed sewerage services. 

What they do not see, they do not want 

to be responsible for. For these people, 

their duty is done once they flush their 

toilets. This is why we call what we do, 

cleaning the unseen. What people do 

not see they do not want to pay for. 

Perhaps IWK is penalised for being efficient 

but I believe we have a duty to 

carry out our responsibilities the best 

that we can. 

However to reiterate what I have 

mentioned earlier, more people are 

realising their obligation and my sincere 

hope is that this will continue especially 

with the younger generation who are 

truly responsive and appreciate IWK’s 

role. 

Q: What is IWK doing to improve awareness 

about sewerage services? Is there 

a communication strategy? 

AKM: We definitely have a strategic 

communication plan in place. Our 

communication efforts do not only 

cover awareness to encourage pay- 



ment but include positive awareness 

on what we, IWK’s role in ensuring our 

environment is liveable, towards public 

health and also in socio-economic 

platform. 

There is this disconnect where the 

public do not realise the link between 

their toilets, our sewerage networks, 

treatment plants and the potential 

calamity if IWK does not work well. Can 

you imagine what happens if wastewater 

is leaked into our water sources, public 

areas and into homes? It is not only 

the unpleasant odour that we would 

need to deal with but the potential outbreak 

of diseases. Obviously many still 

do not realise this and we work towards 

addressing this disconnect. 

We are also approaching government 

agencies to work on jointly promoting 

awareness of what we do and 

how this affects the environment and 

public health. There are so many ‘Go 

Green’ movements out there and most 

don’t stop to think how badly untreated 

sewage can affect the environment. 

Yes we should recycle, reuse, reduce 

our carbon footprints but have stopped 

to think what will happen if wastewater 

is released into our waterways, into 

public streets? We are also trying to 

educate our young by working with 

educators in pre-school, primary and 

also secondary schools. The youth of 

this country has shown that they are 

the initiators of change and we hope 

to garner support from them. We have 

published on our own a few junior 

books on the subject of wastewater 

and hope to continue the effort of 

shaping the minds of the next leaders 

of this nation. 

First and foremost, Indah Water 

Konsortium Sdn Bhd (IWK) is the national 

sewerage company owned by the Minister 

of Finance and we are responsible 

for providing sewerage services to close 

to 20 million users in Peninsular Malaysia 

and Labuan with exception of Kelantan 

and Johor Bahru. Our work is dirty, 

difficult and dangerous and it is our 

communications strategy to also share 

this information with the public. The 

sheer magnitude of the infrastructure 

we manage is staggering. The main 

focus of the company has been the 

operations and maintenance of 5,880 

public sewage treatment plants, close 

to 16,000 kilometres of sewer networks, 

892 pumping stations, 58 centralised 

sludge treatment facilities, including 

septage management. 

We hope that the public appreciates 

that IWK is populated with 18+ 

years of human capital assets in various 

specialised fields as well as strategic assets 

in technical expertise, treatment facilities, 

operating vehicles, equipment 

and instrumentation. Amongst areas of 

specialisation are sewerage planning 

and certification, process design, technical 

audit, environmental assessment, 

Hazard & Operability (HAZOP) studies, 

capacity development programs, development 

of sewerage standards and 

guidelines as well as project management 

consultancy services. 

Thus it is the thrust of our communication 

strategy to share a more 

complete picture of IWK and with this 

we hope to convince the public about 

the role and importance of sewerage 

services and management. 

Q: What is IWK doing in wastewater 

reuse? Is it still a challenge to change 

perceptions of wastewater as a resource 

rather than a nuisance? 

AKM: IWK has embarked on R&D for 

reuse of treated sewage or what we 

call ‘bioeffluent’. The studies had shown 

that by using the appropriate technology, 

the bioeffluent could be further 

polished for various applications such 

as industrial and landscaping uses. 

Today, we are using bioeffluent for 

internal works such as process needs, 

and housekeeping. Besides, we have 

successfully used bioeffluent instead 

of potable water for sewer cleaning 

maintenance works. In moving forward 

we are now promoting bioeffluent for 

landscaping. We have been successful 

in demonstrating this with a local 

authority in Port Dickson and now we 

are ready to implement this with the 

other local authorities and city councils 

in Malaysia. We believe that using bioeffluent 

can reduce dependence on 

potable water thus reducing the stress 

on potable water supplies as well as 

delay capex. 

Yes, it is a challenge to change the 

perceptions of stakeholders regarding 

wastewater as a resource. There is a 

huge knowledge gap especially those 

amongst those not directly involved 

in the industry and treated effluent is 

still misconstrued as faeces water. We 

need to re-brand wastewater and as 

a start we refer to treated wastewater 

as bioeffluent. Other aspects such as 

conformance of the wastewater byproducts 

to religious requirements are 

areas that need to be given due attention 

and handled sensitively. We also 

plan to re-brand our regional sewage 

treatment plants as Green Resources 

Centres as we truly think that wastewater 

by-products can be positively 

utilised. 

Q: How is sludge being managed by 

IWK? Is there a preference for land application? 

AKM: Sludge generation is inevitable in 

sewage treatment and we have to deal 

with it despite facing numerous challenges. 

In early days, we did not have 

adequate land to dispose the sludge 

which is collected from septic tanks 

and sewage treatment plants. Existing 

sewage treatment facilities had to be 

used to treat the sludge and dispose 

it to landfill. Gradually, we developed 

trenching sites and drying beds which 

are able to receive the sludge. In some 

areas, we have now replaced them 

with mechanical dewatering units. 

Besides, central sludge treatment 

facilities were built and operated in 

some parts of the country. The treated 

sludge from all these facilities is known 

as biosolids that exist in dried form 

which are disposed to landfill. This in 

fact contains valuable plant nutrients 

and calories which could be turned 

into a resource. For this, we continue 

to embark on R&D programme to study 

the recovery of resources from sludge 

and promote its beneficial use. Similar 

to bioeffluent, we have successfully 

demonstrated beneficial use of biosolids 

for landscaping in the Port Dickson 

Local Authority areas and now plan 

to expand the initiative to other local 

authorities in Malaysia. 

Q: How successful are the efforts to generate 

energy from waste and sludge? 

AKM: There is energy embedded in 

sludge. The energy could be recovered 

by several methods. This includes anaerobic 

digestion of sludge to generate 

biogas/methane. We are working with 

a local university with funding from the 

Ministry of Energy, Green Technology 

and Water to carry out a pilot project 

on harnessing renewable energy from 

anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge 

at our Regional Sewage Treatment 

Plant in Pantai Dalam, Kuala Lumpur. 

We hope the project will be successful 

in generating electricity to partially 

support the plant’s internal demand. 

Besides, we think biosolids if treated 

appropriately could be used as solid 

fuel; this however is still at an early research 

stage and more work needs to 

be done to realise the potential. Additionally, 

through collaboration with 

local universities, we are exploring the 

use of micro hydro system to harness 

energy from hydraulic head losses of 

flowing sewage. 

Q: Could you tell us about your success 

in reducing the energy footprint of 

wastewater treatment plants? 

AKM: We realised that the cost of energy 

(which is largely used for aerating 

and pumping wastewater)is one of 

our largest components of the overall 



overheads and efforts are needed to reduce it. In doing so, 

we need to strike a balance between energy consumption 

and meeting the overall service obligations and regulatory 

compliance. This needs detailed analysis of process conditions, 

appropriate control, optimisation and monitoring of 

the wastewater treatment process. Energy saving initiatives 

will be implemented and for this year, we have set a target 

to reduce energy consumption by 5% in all our regional sewage 

treatment plants. Besides, to streamline the initiative 

effectively, we are embarking on a pilot project on energy 

management in selected areas. 

In IWK, there is also a Continuous Improvement Programme 

(CIP), whereby our employees explore innovative 

ways to reduce our carbon footprint and other beneficial 

methods in facilitating our operations. 

We have labs where our resident experts study the potential 

use of enzymes, microbes, bio and nano-technology 

in reducing our dependence on traditional power sources 

and methods of delivering our output. 

We also encourage our operators and technical staffs 

to think out of the box by organising several competitions 

which include photography and innovation. In addition to 

this, we motivate our staff in many ways such as recognising 

their effort through awards, rewards, incentives, and instilling 

spiritual values though religious talks. 

(This article was first published in the March/April 2013 issue 

of Asian Water magazine) 

Q: What steps are being taken to improve the capacity of 

operators and technical staff? 

AKM: We believe the operators and technical staff have a lot 

to offer if they are nurtured and trained appropriately. For this, 

we have developed our own suitable training programme 

and these are being implemented throughout the company. 

For effective training, we have established our own technical 

training centre complete with mock training facilities in Bukit 

Jalil Kuala Lumpur that rolls out many training programmes 

for our staff and external parties such as contractors. 

Existing aerated lagoons will be replaced by a mechanised 

treatment system occupying a smaller footprint 

Obsolete STP technology producing odour affecting adjacent 

residents 

When completed Pantai 2 STP will have a capacity 

of 1.423 million PE 

Entrance to project site. The STP upon completion 

will use Advanced A2O process with the provision 

of bio-gas power generation facility 

Pantai 2 STP will have a 2-level underground process and 

maintenance facility . The roof top will accommodate a 

leisure park, administration building and community facilities 

for local residents 



Phosphorus recovery must be factored 

into long-term plans: James 

Barnard 

There is a renewed interest in biological phosphorus removal 

from wastewater which would allow the recovery of at least 

40% of the phosphorus in the influent stream in a cost effective 

way. We caught up with James Barnard from Black & Veatch 

who has researched, written and presented extensively on 

the subject. 

Q 

: Can you remind our readers about the importance of 

phosphorus and the role it plays? 

JB: Phosphorus is an essential nutrient responsible for life on 

earth. Besides phosphorus’s role in bone development, it 

plays a role in ATP (adenosine triphosphate) formation in 

all cells which is the way in which energy is stored in living 

matter. 

Phosphorus can be found in most soils and all organic 

matter but in small quantities. In forests, over centuries where 

there was no harvesting, the forest products would fall to the 

ground, decay and the phosphorus would be released for 

the next growth. During the millions of years since elementary 

life, some phosphorus leached out through the steady 

erosion of the earth crust into streams. This, in turn supported 

the growth of algae and other water plants and eventually 

higher forms of life, the residue of which accumulated on the 

floors in water bodies. 

Q: Are we running out of phosphorus? 

JB: There is only a limited mass of minable phosphorus in the 

world today. There are varying time scales on when we will run 

out of minable phosphorus; I tend to cite that at the present 

rate of consumption it may last less than a few centuries. 

Q: On face value this seems like quite a long period of time, 

but I know from speaking to you before that perhaps the 

challenge should be looked at in a different way? 

JB: Exactly. You have to understand the market for phosphorus. 

The price of phosphorus is going to increase. 

There will not be an abrupt end to supplies. The rich and 

easily recoverable ores are being mined rapidly and while 

the phosphorus will not disappear in our lifetime or that of our 

children and grandchildren, there is no doubt that the cost 

of phosphorus fertiliser will increase sharply in future. 

The way we farm has changed the phosphorus balance. 

Agriculture was sustained in many parts of the world by either 

flooding of areas by silt laden waters or by systematic return 

of phosphorus from human and animal waste to the soil. With 

the large increase in industrial farming, local phosphorus resources 

got depleted since food was exported long distances 

and new mineral phosphorus needed to be imported. 

Mineable phosphorus is not found everywhere and occurs 

only in special geological contexts. If sufficient layers of 

plant and animal matter accumulated and calcified, rich 

alluvial deposits of phosphorus rock were formed. Without 

disturbance, such alluvial phosphorus rich deposits became 

sources of mineral phosphorus. Such deposits can be found 

in Florida, China and Morocco. Sometimes such layers were 

James L Barnard is often referred to as the “Father of 

Biological Nutrient Removal,” Dr Barnard has received 

numerous industry awards and recognitions throughout 

his career. Notable awards include Singapore’s 

prestigious Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize and the Koch/ 

Imhoff Award from the International Water Association. 

A native of South Africa, Dr Barnard also holds an Honorary 

Doctorate from the University of Johannesburg. 

He is Global Practice & Technology Leader for Black & 

Veatch’s global water business. 

upturned and churned up in the crust of the earth to form 

igneous deposits such as in Jordan and South Africa. 

More than 85 per cent of estimated phosphorus reserves 

are available in only one country, Morocco, however. While 

the USA, for example, is still importing less than 10% of its 

needs, 99% is from Morocco according to information on the 

United States Geological Survey site. 

Future demand for phosphorus will not decrease and 

costs will increase. 

Q: Given the potential market then, is there an opportunity for 

wastewater utilities to recover phosphorus economically? 

JB: Yes. New technologies are putting phosphorus recovery 

from wastewater treatment plants in the range where costs 

can be recovered within ten years or less if the price of phosphorus 

increases as expected. 



JB: This really depends on whether phosphorus is recovered 

through chemical or biological uptake. 

Since there is no gaseous form of phosphorus, all phosphorus 

removed from the influent stream must exit through 

the sludge in some form. 

With chemical addition for phosphorus removal most of 

the phosphorus will be in the insoluble form in the sludge and 

will be disposed of with the sludge. While the sludge could be 

used beneficially in land application, only a small fraction of 

the phosphorus is productively used, while some is leached 

out to the streams and a considerable fraction is tied up for 

a long time. Normally sludge is applied to land as a way of 

disposal and recent regulations limited the mass of phosphorus 

that can be deposited on a certain piece of land during 

a certain period even when not available to plants. 

When phosphorus removal is by biological uptake, up 

to half of the phosphorus may be in the return streams after 

anaerobic digestion and it can be reclaimed by the formation 

of struvite or some form of calcium phosphate while the 

other half is tied up with the particulate fraction. Some of this 

particulate fraction may yet be available to plants should 

the solids be applied to land. 

Most biological phosphorus removal plants in Western 

Canada use composting as a means of sludge stabilisation 

and applying the compost to land has the effect of recycling 

most of the nutrients. The compost has the added benefit of 

soil conditioning in which the organic matter serves to retain 

the nutrients for beneficial use. 

Q: Are you seeing more wastewater facilities anticipate this 

market? 

JB: I think most of the change is being driven by regulations. 

Many utilities are facing stricter phosphorus discharge limits 

and are retrofitting their wastewater treatment facilities to 

include liquid stream phosphorus removal. 

Q: How is phosphorus removed at wastewater treatment 

facilities? What are the options? 

JB: The main two ways to remove phosphorus are either by 

chemical precipitation or by biological uptake. If we step 

back, we could also look at ways to remove phosphorus at 

source through urine recovery. 

Q: Could we soon see phosphorus being removed from 

urine? 

JB: This is theoretically possible and would in fact be the most 

effective means of recovering phosphorus. Urine contributes 

55 to 65 percent of the phosphorus to domestic wastewater 

in only 1 per cent of the flow. 

The Stockholm Water Institute is promoting the use of urine 

separating toilets that can be integrated in present drainage 

systems but with separate lines for urine transport. In developing 

countries where fertiliser is unaffordable, a waterless 

toilet is promoted which separates urine from feces, providing 

much needed fertiliser for home grown products. 

Research in Sweden and Switzerland is aiming to convert 

urine into struvite, which can be used as a slow release 

fertiliser. Struvite is easily transportable and, once formed as 

distinct crystals, is effectively separated from any pharmaceuticals 

present in urine when washed. 

Q: What about more direct recovery of phosphorus from the 

effluent? 

Q: Is biological removal of phosphorus becoming more 

popular? 

JB: Yes, I’m seeing biological phosphorus removal becoming 

more popular for two main reasons. 

The improved understanding of the process has made 

it very reliable and predictable and in the second place it 

makes cost effective recovery of struvite possible. In addition, 

magnesium is also taken up with the phosphorus and 

released during anaerobic conditions. 

Q: Struvite formation can actually be a problem in itself, 

right? 

JB: Yes, struvite can form in the digesters. In most instances of 

enhanced biological phosphorus removal followed by sludge 

digestion, struvite crustation causes problems in the pipelines 

from the digesters and in dewatering equipment that can 

result in costly maintenance. It has been overcome in certain 

cases, as with the Berliner Wasserbetriebe (BWB) [Berlin Water 

Supply & Wastewater Disposal Company] when they switched 

from chemical to biological phosphorus removal. They developed 

a patented procedure called AirPrexto precipitate 

the struvite in the digesters while also improving the dewater 

ability of the sludge. Another way to mitigate the problem is 

to remove phosphorus before digestion. 

Q: Why is that? 

JB: Removing as much of the phosphorus from the waste 

activated sludge (WAS) before digestion reduces surplus 

phosphorus in the digesters sufficiently. Stripping the phosphorus 

and magnesium from the WAS before digestion also 

maximises struvite formation in the phosphorus recovery 

process. 

The Pho-Strip process which preceded Biological Nutrient 

Removal (BNR) configurations, stripped phosphorus from the 

WAS. The Pho-Strip process was a high rate activated sludge 

process that avoided nitrification. The return activated sludge 

(RAS) was passed through a “stripping” tank in the form of a 

thickener, in which the RAS was retained for up to 30 hours. 

During this period fermention of the RAS produced VFA and 

released phosphorus and magnesium to the liquid phase 



which was decanted and treated with lime for precipitation 

of the phosphorus. The “stripped” RAS was then returned to 

the aeration basin. 

The process has been further developed recently to include 

nitrogen removal but the phosphorus is only “stripped” 

from a portion of the return activated sludge. 

The WASSTRIP process strips the phosphorus and magnesium 

from the waste activated sludge before digestion and 

allows for the recovery of up to 50% of the phosphorus in the 

influent when it is removed by biological means. 

Q: What are some successful examples of struvite recovery? 

JB: Initially the AirPrex process was used for preventing struvite 

formation in the digester dewatering equipment, but it has 

been further developed for struvite recovery. The AirPrex 

reactor at Waßmannsdorf WWTP produces 2.5 tonnes per 

day of struvite and the quality complies with the German 

fertiliser ordinance. The struvite is used as raw material in 

fertiliser production, where it is mixed with other fertilisers. 

Many other examples exist. 

The Phosnix Process, for example, was developed in Japan 

by Unitika Limited Environmental and Engineering Division 

and consists of a reactor that is an air agitated column with 

chemical dosing equipment. The sludge liquor is pumped 

to the bottom of the reactor and the chemicals, sodium 

hydroxide and Mg(OH)2, are added for precipitation and 

pH adjustment to pH 8.5 – 8.8. Struvite crystals grow, and sink 

to the bottom of the column where they are removed periodically. 

Fine struvite particles separated from the product 

struvite, are fed back to the reactor as seed material. Struvite 

granules of 0.5 to 1.0 millimetres form in ten days retention 

time. The product is dewatered for 24 hours in a filter bag system 

or naturally dried in an ambient temperature. The water 

content of the final product is less than 10%. The produced 

struvite is sold to a fertiliser company. 

Q: Are there examples of struvite commercialisation in North 

America also? 

JB: We are seeing innovation emerge throughout the 

world. 

The Ostara process is a well known Canadian example. 

It was developed at the University of British Columbia and 

demonstrated at semi-full-scale at the Gold Bar plant in 

Edmonton. The technology is based on controlled chemical 

precipitation in a fluidised bed reactor that recovers struvite in 

the form of highly pure crystalline pellets or “prills.” Nutrientrich 

feed streams are mixed with magnesium chloride and, 

if necessary, sodium hydroxide and then fed into a reactor 

where minute particles or struvite “seeds” begin to form. 

Like a pearl, these seeds grow in diameter until they reach 

the desired size – 1.0 millimetres to 3.5 millimetres – which 

is precisely controlled by varying key parameters. In a municipal 

wastewater treatment plant, up to 90 percent of the 

phosphorus and 40% of the ammonia load is removed from 

the sludge dewatering liquid using this process and the resulting 

product is marketed as a commercial fertiliser called 

Crystal Green ® . 

The upflow reactor has a number of cylinders of increasing 

diameter with a larger settling basin on top. Liquid containing 

smaller particles of struvite is recycled to the bottom 

of the unit at which point the centrate enters the reactor. 

Magnesium chloride is added to have slightly more than 

a stoichiometric equivalence with the phosphorus in the 

feed and some caustic is added to raise the pH. As the prills 

(pearls) grow they tend to migrate to the lower part of the 

reactor where the upflow velocity is highest and from where 

they can be harvested. The harvested prills are washed and 

dried to the point where it contains no organic matter and 

is pathogen free and is then bagged and distributed as a 

slow release fertiliser. 

The first full-scale plant was built at the Durham facility of 

Clean Water Services (CWS) which removed 85% of the phosphorus 

in the return streams and 14% of the ammonia. The 

Durham facility treats around 75,000 m 3 /d of raw wastewater 

with an average influent phosphorus content of 4.8 mg/l. 

Initially about 20% of the influent phosphorus was reclaimed 

(85% - 90% from the return stream) but this has been increased 

due to the installation of WASSTRIPTM for removing Mg and 

phosphorus from the WAS before digestion. 

A second Ostara facility for CWS has recently been commissioned 

at the Rock Creek WWTP treating 135,000 m 3 /d. 

The biological treatment plant was designed with chemical 

phosphorus removal but has been converted to BPR to enable 

struvite production. This pioneering technology supposedly 

provides US$650,000 a year in operational savings and 

revenue from the sale of the Crystal Green. 

Q: That’s a huge cost saving. What drove research in this area 

to find ways to commercialise phosphorus recovery? 

JB: In many ways, the City of Milwaukee in the US led the way 

to recovering, sterilising and marketing pelletised biosolids as 

a nutrient. Milorganite is formed by dewatering and drying 

bio-solids from the Milwaukee Jones Island plant. Iron salts 

are added to the activated sludge process for removal of 

phosphorus. During dewatering, the sludge is pelletised at 

around 500°C which destroys the pathogens. 

The initial marketing efforts centered on the ammonia 

fertiliser value. Studies showed that 85% of the ammonia was 

available to plants but that the water leachable phosphorus 

was less than 2% of the phosphorus in the solids while the rate 

for commercial fertiliser was 85%. The focus of these studies 

was that the biosolids in effect would also bind soluble phosphorus 

and make it available to plants decreasing leaching 

phosphorus to streams. Unlike the excessive application of 

biosolids to land as a means of disposal, applying pelletised 

waste activated sludge to land for the fertiliser value requires 

much lower application rates. 

Q: Are there other examples of processes that have become 

successful? 

JB: Another method of phosphate removal is the use of DHV 

Crystalactor process, in which a fluidised bed crystalliser uses 

sand as a seed while the phosphorus is precipitated using 

materials such as lime, calcium chloride, magnesium hydroxide, 

and magnesium chloride, which crystallizes in different 



compounds such as calcium and magnesium phosphates. 

CrystalactorTM is a proprietary process in which acetic 

acid is added to the return activated sludge of a BNR plant to 

release phosphorus to the supernatant which is then passed 

to the phosphorus recovery process. The RAS is then returned 

to the activated sludge plant for enhanced excess phosphorus 

uptake by the phosphorus accumulating organisms. The 

supernatant is mixed with overflow from the top of the tower, 

chemicals are added for the precipitation of phosphorus and 

the crystals are allowed to grow in the upflow regime which is 

controlled. When lime is added to form hydroxyapatite, some 

fine sand is also added to serve as a nucleus for the formation 

of fine crystals. The crystals are dried and bagged and 

could be used directly as fertiliser or it can be sold to fertiliser 

manufacturers. Alternatively, magnesium and alkalinity could 

be added for struvite formation. Successful demonstrations 

at some US plants showed that either the hydroxyapatite or 

struvite outcome produced similar results. 

Multiform Harvest Incorporated further developed a 

cone-shaped struvite precipitation reactor, initially designed 

for use in pig manure treatment by North Carolina State 

University to be tested on agricultural and municipal wastewaters, 

in cooperation with Washington State University. 

I understand that the reactor is further being developed 

for phosphorus recovery in the municipal, agricultural, and 

food processing wastewater sectors. Multiform is in the process 

of constructing a struvite recovery plant for the 115,000 

m 3 /d(30 MGD) WWTP of the City of Boise, Idaho, USA, to 

provide the struvite crystalliser technology to treat 2,300 

m 3 /d(0.6 MGD) of high-phosphorus wastewater. A second 

plant came on line in May 2012 for recovery of phosphorus 

at the Yakima WA WWTP. 

Q: What if a utility is still adding chemicals to remove phosphorus? 

Are there potential commercial routes for it to 

explore? 

JB: In many plants today phosphorus removal is achieved 

by chemical addition of Ferric salts or Alum which would 

tie up the phosphorus with no release in the digesters. Most 

options are either too difficult or expensive to recover the 

phosphorus. However, the sludge could be incinerated and 

the phosphorus could be recovered from the ash. 

Petzet & Cornel showed that complete phosphorus recovery 

from wastewater is technically feasible. Depending 

on the composition of the sewage sludge ash from sludge 

incinerators, there are various options for phosphorus recovery. 

For sewage sludge that is co-incinerated in power plants, 

municipal waste incinerators or cement kilns, phosphorus 

recovery is not possible, however, and lost forever. 

Recovering phosphorus from ash is already happening 

in Europe where many plants use chemicals for phosphorus 

removal. A large centralised Thermos plant is in operation in 

Vlissingen, The Netherlands that accepts ash from many locations 

in lieu of mined phosphorus rock in the manufacturing 

of phosphorus fertilisers and has replaced more than 20% of 

the rock with incinerator ash. 

Q: How much phosphorus could be recovered from ash? 

JB: Almost 100% could be recovered by either wet chemical 

or thermal treatment processes. For now, however, those 

processes are not cost-effective and cannot compete with 

recovery of phosphorus from struvite processes I mentioned 

earlier like the Ostara, DHV Crystalactor or Phosnix process 

to name just three. Studies including that by Baur in 2011 

showed that by stripping the phosphorus from the sludge 

before digestion can be cost effective with an overall payback 

period of not more than 10 years. 

Q: So how would you recommend wastewater utilities take 

advantage of this future economic opportunity? 

JB: I think most wastewater utilities are already looking at this 

area. If it’s not being formally done, they need to find ways 

to factor commercial phosphorus recovery into their long 

term plans. They need to be able to adapt their treatment 

processes, potentially upgrade or build new infrastructure 

and also identify the right market. There are also many 

regulatory requirements that need to be considered and 

understand and collaborate with other efforts that are likely 

to be underway. It’s a complex process but one that could 

reap considerable gains for the utility over the long term. 

(This article was first published in the May/June 2013 issue of 

Asian Water magazine) 


News from Around the World 

ADB partners with 18 banks to help 

Chinese cities 

The Asian Development Bank is partnering with 18 banks 

to help China Water Affairs Group Limited (CWA) to 

increase WORLD access and NEWS improve water efficiency in small- 

and medium-sized cities in the People’s Republic of China 

(PRC). 

The US$100 million B loan is part of ADB’s US$200 million 

financing package to the project, which also includes 

an ADB-financed loan of US$100 million. Through the B 

loan structure, the participating banks share with ADB the 

benefit of ADB’s preferred creditor status. 

Under the project, CWA will turn around multiple 

water utilities formerly owned by municipal governments, 

rehabilitating distribution pipelines, installing meters for all 

customers, instilling commercial management practices, 

and improving access to safe water. The loan is expected 

to benefit five million customers, including poor households, 

who currently have limited access to safe drinking water. 

The PRC government is actively promoting publicprivate 

partnership for water supply chain but around 90% 

New Sewerage Rules under WSIA 

enforced on 1st July 2013 

Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Air Negara (SPAN) has 

recently announced that the Water Services Industry 

(Planning, Design and Construction of Sewerage System 

and Septic Tank) Rules 2013 has been enforced from 1st 

July 2013. The rules issued pursuant to Sections 45 and 180 

of the Water Services Industry Act 2006 (WSIA) set out the 

The World Bank estimates in a new report that environmental 

degradation is costing India INR 3.75 trillion 

(US$80 billion) per year, or 5.7% of GDP. Of this total, 

outdoor air pollution has been accounted at INR 1.1 

trillion followed by the cost of indoor air pollution at INR 

0.9 trillion, croplands degradation cost at INR 0.7 trillion, 

inadequate water supply and sanitation cost at around at 

INR 0.5 trillion, pastures degradation cost at INR 0.4 trillion, 

requirements for securing approval for sewerage systems 

and septic tanks. All applications submitted after this 

date will also be subject to payment of the appropriate 

processing fee to the Sewerage Certifying Agency. More 

information can be obtained by visiting SPAN’s website at 

www.span.gov.my. 

Pollution costs US$80 billion a year in 

India 

Table 1: Estimated Total Annual Household Cost of Averting Expenditures 

Cost of bottled water consumption 

Cost of household boiling drinking water 

Cost of household filtering drinking water 

Total annual cost 

Source: Staff estimates. 

of municipal distribution networks are still owned by local 

governments. 

“Water distribution is a new frontier for private sector 

participation in Asia. A prime objective of B loan is to share 

our development mission with our partner banks. We are 

pleased to work together with 18 banks for enhancing 

access to cleaner piped water in smaller cities,“ said Hisaka 

Kimura, Principal Investment Specialist in ADB’s Private 

Sector Operations Department. 

The fund is provided by the Royal Bank of Scotland 

plc, Korea Development Bank, Chang Hwa Commercial 

Bank, Chinatrust Commercial Bank, First Commercial Bank, 

Taiwan Cooperative Bank, KEB Asia Finance, Kookmin Bank 

Hong Kong, Woori Global Markets Asia, Hang Seng Bank, 

Mega International Commercial Bank, Taiwan Business 

Bank, Bank SinoPac, Industrial and Commercial Bank of 

China (Asia), Land Bank of Taiwan, Sunny Bank, Taichung 

Commercial Bank, The Bank of East Asia, Limited, and ADB 

as the lender of record. 

and forest degradation cost at INR 0.1 trillion. 

According to the report, in the presence of perceived 

health risks, individuals often take measures to avoid 

them. These are usually considered as a cost of the health 

risks of environmental burden. If consumers perceive 

that the municipal water supply or the other sources of 

water supply they rely on are unsafe, they are likely to 

purchase bottled water for drinking purposes, or boil 

Total Annual Cost 

(Billion Rs.) 

Urban 

20 

4 

14 

38 

Rural 

7 

3 

7 

17 

their water, or install water 

purification filters. The 

estimated costs of these 

options are given in Table 

1. The assumed hypothetical 

level of expenditure 

here is zero (no avertive expenses 

would be incurred 

if the water supplied was 

safe). The total amount of 

avertive expenditures for 

India amount to about INR 

55 Bn. a year. 



US Energy Department report warns 

climate effects will get worse 

The US Department of Energy released a new report 

which assesses how America’s critical energy and 

electricity infrastructure is vulnerable to the impacts of 

climate change. Historically high temperatures in recent 

years have been accompanied by droughts and extreme 

heat waves, more wildfires than usual, and several intense 

storms that caused power and fuel disruptions for millions 

of people. These trends are expected to continue, which 

could further impact energy systems critical to the nation’s 

economy. 

The US Energy Sector Vulnerabilities to Climate Change 

and Extreme Weather report, which builds on President 

Obama’s Climate Action Plan, notes that annual temperatures 

across the United States have increased by 

about 1.5°F over the last century. In fact, 2012 was both the 

warmest year on record in the contiguous United States 

and saw the hottest month since the country started keeping 

records in 1895. The implications for America’s energy 

infrastructure include: 

• Increased risk of temporary partial or full shutdowns 

at thermoelectric (coal, natural gas, and nuclear) 

power plants because of decreased water availability 

for cooling and higher ambient and air water temperatures. 

Thermoelectric power plants require water 

cooling in order to operate. A study of coal plants, for 

example, found that roughly 60% of the current fleet is 

located in areas of water stress. 

• Reduced power generation from hydroelectric power 

plants in some regions and seasons due to drought 

and declining snowpack. For example, earlier spring 

snowmelts could decrease summer water availability 

leading to potential hydropower shortages when energy 

demand for cooling is greatest. 

• Risks to energy infrastructure located along the coast 

from sea level rise, increasing intensity of storms, and 

higher storm surge and flooding -- potentially disrupt- 

Mott MacDonald is providing technical assistance 

for a project that will address water shortages 

in Indonesia’s third largest city, Bandung, and its 

surrounding areas. 

Watershed degradation, rapid urbanisation and 

industrialisation, as well as slow development of surface 

water sources, have created overdependence on 

groundwater as a primary source of water. As a result, the 

rate of water extraction from local aquifers significantly 

exceeds recharge rates, with water tables declining at 

more than one metre a year in some areas. This has led 

to acute water stress and depletion of aquifers in major 

urban areas such as Bandung. 

The National Development Planning Agency has 

commissioned Mott MacDonald to prepare a water 

supply master plan. This includes a management plan 

for groundwater upper catchment management areas. 

ing oil and gas production, refining, and distribution, 

as well as electricity generation and distribution. 

• Increasing risks of physical damage to power lines, 

transformers and electricity distribution systems from 

hurricanes, storms and wildfires that are growing more 

intense and more frequent. 

• Increased risks of disruption and delay to fuel transport 

by rail and barge during more frequent periods of 

drought and flooding that affect water levels in rivers 

and ports. 

• Higher air conditioning costs and risks of blackouts 

and brownouts in some regions if the capacity of 

existing power plants does not keep pace with the 

growth in peak electricity demand due to increasing 

temperatures and heat waves. An Argonne National 

Laboratory study found that higher peak electricity 

demand as a result of climate change related temperature 

increases will require an additional 34 GW of 

new power generation capacity in the western United 

States alone by 2050, costing consumers $45 billion. 

This is roughly equivalent to more than 100 new power 

plants, and doesn’t include new power plants that will 

be needed to accommodate growth in population or 

other factors. 

In addition to identifying critical areas at risk from climate 

change and extreme weather, the report also identifies 

activities already underway to address these challenges, 

and discusses potential opportunities to make the energy 

sector more resilient. Potential future opportunities 

for federal, state, and local governments could include 

innovative policies that broaden the suite of available 

climate-resilient energy technologies and encourage 

their deployment, improved data collection and models 

to better inform researchers and lawmakers of energy 

sector vulnerabilities and response opportunities, and 

enhanced stakeholder engagement. 

Mott MacDonald helps improve water supply 

in Indonesia 

The consultancy will also identify reforms needed to 

strengthen the water supply system. 

Bandung lies on the Citarum river basin which 

provides 80% of the water consumed in the capital city 

Jakarta and surrounding areas. It supports a population 

of about 30 million, contributes 20% of the country’s 

industrial outputs and produces 5% of the country’s 

rice. 

“Loss of forest cover and unsustainable farming 

practices on steep slopes in the upper catchments 

has resulted in reduced infiltration of rainfall, inhibiting 

groundwater recharge and contributing to rapid run-off 

of surface water. Sustainable management of surface 

and groundwater is critical to the country’s economic 

development and food security,” commented Hero 

Heering, Mott MacDonald’s project director. The project 

is due for completion in 2014. 



Australia’s largest desalination plant is 

operational 

GE’s Power Conversion business has helped bring 

Australia’s largest seawater desalination plant into 

operation to complement catchments and storages in 

the area around Melbourne. 

The Victorian Desalination Project, 130 km southeast 

of Melbourne, runs on low- and medium-voltage drives 

and medium-voltage motors supplied by GE. The plant 

is among the largest reverse osmosis plants in the world. 

It was brought online in November 2012, completed 

successfully the required 30-day continuous production 

test and reached full operation in December, three 

years after construction began. 

The plant can supply up to 150 billion litres of 

drinking water per year to Melbourne and regional 

communities, providing a rainfall independent supply, 

and is a resource that will be valued particularly in 

times of future drought. 

The AquaSure consortium, which led the project, 

contracted Thiess Degrémont Joint Venture to design, 

construct and operate the desalination plant—valued 

at AU$3.5 billion—together with marine structures, a 

1.9m in diameter water transfer pipeline stretching over 

84km and an 87km underground power line (the longest 

220kV HVAC underground power cable of its type in the 

world) to connect the plant with the electricity grid. 

The plant incorporates reverse osmosis desalination 

technology used by Degrémont, a subsidiary of Suez 

Environment and a world leader in the field. 

Efforts have been made to minimise the 

environmental impact of the desalination plant. 

Reverse osmosis is the most energy-efficient method 

of desalinating water, and the plant includes energy 

recovery devices to reduce power consumption. Its 

underground power supply is co-located with the 

pipeline and all operational energy is 100% offset by 

renewable energy certificates. The plant is covered 

by Australia’s largest living green roof and there is a 

225 hectare revegetated coastal park for public use. 

Long intake and outlet tunnels help protect the coast 

and marine environment. 

Big brands indicted in Indonesian toxic 

water scandal 

Greenpeace International investigations have revealed 

the dumping of industrial wastewater containing 

a cocktail of toxic and hazardous chemicals, and 

caustic water, directly into the Citarum River, West Java. 

International fashion brands, including Gap, Banana Republic 

and Old Navy are linked to this pollution through 

their direct business relations with PT Gistex Group; the 

company behind the polluting facility. 

“Gap’s latest advertising campaign declares that 

we should ‘Be Bright’, but by collaborating with toxic 

suppliers Gap’s clothes are turning the Citarum into a 

multi-coloured mess. Gap and other big brands need to 

work with their suppliers in Indonesia and elsewhere to 

urgently eliminate all uses of hazardous chemicals from 

their supply chains and products before it is too late,” said 

Ashov Birry, Toxic-Free Water Campaigner, Greenpeace 

Southeast Asia. 

The report “Toxic Threads: Polluting Paradise” details 

how the PT Gistex facility has taken advantage of a system 

that requires little transparency about its activities 

and where inadequate laws are failing to prevent the 

release of hazardous chemicals. Other companies linked 

to the PT Gistex Group include Brook Brothers – which 

has outfitted 39 of the 44 American Presidents, including 

Barack Obama – Marubeni Corporation, Adidas Group 

and H&M. 

A wide range of hazardous substances – including nonylphenol 

and tributyl phosphate – were identified in the 

water samples taken from the PT Gistex facility’s discharge 

outfalls. Many of these chemicals are toxic, while some 

have hormone-disrupting and highly persistent properties. 

The investigations also revealed wastewater from one of 

the smaller outfalls to be extremely alkaline or ‘caustic’ 

Industrial wastewater containing hazardous chemicals, discharged 

directly into the Citarum River by the Gistex Textile Division. Lagadar 

village, Kabupaten Bandung. 

Photo Courtesy : © Andri Tambunan / Greenpeace 

(pH 14) indicating that this wastewater had not received 

even the most basic treatment before discharge. 

“People living along this river, that rely upon its water, 

have a right to know what is being released into it, and 

the customers of the international brands like Gap have 

a right to know what chemicals are being used to make 

their clothes,” added Birry. 

The textile industry is currently one of the major contributors 

to industrial toxic water pollution in West-Java, 

with 68% of industrial facilities on the Upper Citarum producing 

textiles. Greenpeace’s Detox campaign demands 

fashion brands commit to zero discharge of all hazardous 

chemicals by 2020 and work with their suppliers around 

the world to disclose all releases of hazardous chemicals 

from their facilities to communities at the site of the water 

pollution. Launched in July 2011, the campaign has 

already convinced 17 international brands including 

Valentino, Levi’s and Zara to commit to Detox, mobilising 

over a half a million activists, fashionistas, bloggers and 

designers. 



Suez wins waste contracts in Hong 

Kong and Macau 

Suez Environnement, through its subsidiary SITA Waste Services, 

has won two new contracts in Hong Kong: a ten 

year management contract for the North Lantau Transfer 

Station and a ten year contract for marine transportation 

of dewatered sludge. The company has also been 

re-awarded the waste collection and cleaning services 

contract for Macau. 

The contract for North Lantau started in June 2013, and 

represents a turnover of around €35 million. Sita Waste 

Services will be managing the waste for the largest of 

Hong Kong’s islands, including the waste of Hong Kong 

International Airport, Disneyland Park and Tung Chung 

New Town. With a current design treatment capacity of 

650 tonnes of municipal solid waste per day, the station will 

see its throughput almost double to 1,200 tonnes a day in 

the next few years after completion of upgrading works. 

The contract with a new client in Hong Kong, the Drainage 

Services Department (DSD1) has been awarded to the 

50-50% partnership between SITA Waste Services and ATAL 

Environmental Engineering and the contract will commence 

in November 2013, representing a revenue of €75 

million, with an option to extend for a further five years. 

Two self-propelled ocean going vessels will be designed 

and constructed for transporting dewatered 

sludge from the wastewater treatment plant to the sludge 

Thames Water, UK’s largest water and wastewater 

services company, has selected a joint venture 

made up of Veolia Water, Costain and Atkins to deliver 

a significant proportion of its programme of essential 

upgrades to water and wastewater networks and treatment 

facilities across London and the Thames Valley. 

The amount of work for Veolia Water could be worth 

as much as £450 million (US$682 million) for the period 

2015 to 2020. 

To implement its infrastructure upgrade programme, 

Thames Water has formed an alliance with four partners, 

treatment facilities. These new vessels will feature built in 

diesel-electric hybrid engines to achieve better and more 

efficient environmental contributions. Sita Waste Services 

has already acquired over 15 years’ experience in marine 

transfer of containerised waste while operating and managing 

six other transfer stations in Hong Kong. 

Furthermore, SITA Waste Services, via its subsidiary 

Companhia de Sistemas de Residuos de Macau (CSR), has 

been re-awarded the contract for the provision of urban 

cleaning services and waste collection and disposal in 

Macau for another ten years. This contract represents an 

overall revenue of more than €200 million and will start in 

November 2013. 

Under this contract, SITA Waste Services will support the 

community to improve the quality of life of Macau’s residents 

by reducing waste generation and further increasing 

the recovery of recyclable waste. In fact, in a rapidly expanding 

environment, Macau needs a high-performance 

waste management service, primarily in order to manage 

an increasingly large number of tourists. 

With a presence in the Hong Kong region for more than 

20 years, Suez Environnement currently operates two landfill 

sites handling more than 7,000 tonnes of waste per day, 

six transfer stations and seven rehabilitated landfills. It also 

offers collection, composting and recycling services. 

Veolia Water selected by Thames 

Water to upgrade its infrastructure 

The United States government through the United States 

Agency for International Development (USAID)’s Power 

Distribution Programme is helping Karachi Water and 

Sewage Board (KW&SB) in improving infrastructure for 

water supply. 

Currently, a network of pumping stations pump water 

from filtration plants to 21 million inhabitants of Karachi. 

These pumping stations put in place about 20 years ago 

are highly energy-inefficient. 

The USAID programme will help replace the worst 

two of which are joint ventures—including that of Veolia 

Water, Costain and Atkins—to deliver a programme of 

essential works, which includes the design and construction 

of water pipes, sewers and treatment facilities. The 

contract, represents an investment of £3 billion and is 

the largest capex management contract in the water 

sector in Europe. 

Following an initial planning and mobilisation stage 

from 2013-2015 with the joint venture partners, the upgrade 

programme will begin in 2015 and last five years, 

with the option of an extension for a further five years. 

USAID to help improve Karachi water 

supply 

performing pump-sets with high efficiency ones. So far 

41 pumps have been replaced. The programme aims 

to complete the replacement of pumps by the end of 

September 2013. 

The upgrade of the water pumps will decrease KW&SBs 

financial burden by US$1.15 million per annum, and provide 

a continuous supply of clean water to the communities 

under its jurisdiction, according to John Pullinger 

Director Field Operations of USAID Power Distribution 

Programme. 



Sumitomo acquires UK water company 

Sumitomo Corporation headquartered in Tokyo has 

acquired Sutton & East Surrey Water plc (SESW), 

a water-only supply and distribution company in 

England, through the acquisition of 100% of the share 

capital of East Surrey Holdings Ltd. As the new owner of 

SESW, Sumitomo will be involved in the operation and 

management of SESW and aims to improve quality of 

service by leveraging Sumitomo’s extensive water sector 

experience. 

SESW, established in 1862, is the monopoly supplier 

of drinking water to residential and business customers 

in the affluent east Surrey, west Sussex, west Kent and 

Resolution of S’gor Water Issue by Dec ‘13 

Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk 

Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili said he has been given three 

months to conclude his discussion with the Selangor 

state government and reach a definitive agreement on 

the restructuring of Selangor’s water services industry as 

reported in the Sun Daily. Ongkili said the Federal Government 

is in the midst of preparing its counter-proposal 

in response to Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim’s 

proposal on the restructuring of Selangor’s water 

services industry, following the Cabinet’s endorsement 

for further discussions and fine-tuning. “This has been discussed 

at length… we’ll be meeting the concessionaires 

and Khalid. We’ll officially write to him in response to his 

series of proposals in respect of the takeover,” he told 

south London areas, including Gatwick airport. SESW’s 

supply area covers a total of 835 km 2 and a population 

of approximately 655,000, through a network including 

3,445 km of mains, 8 treatment works, 38 pumping 

stations and 35 service reservoirs and water towers. 

SESW’s water concession is responsible for the 

operation and maintenance of, and the management 

of capital investment in its water supply infrastructure. 

It undertakes the complete range of water concession 

business activities, including the abstraction, treatment 

and distribution of drinking water, as well as billing, 

collection and other customer services. 

Automotive wastewater treatment 

market gets boost in Asia-Pacific 

The relocation of automotive manufacturing from 

North America and Europe to Asia-Pacific, especially 

to emerging countries such as Vietnam and Indonesia, 

is expected to boost the prospects of the water and 

wastewater treatment (WWWT) market. Environmental 

regulations, along with manufacturers’ desire to cut costs 

and use water more efficiently, have expanded the market 

for WWWT solutions. 

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (Water and 

Wastewater Treatment Solutions Market in Automotive 

Industry in Asia-Pacific), finds that market earned revenues 

of US$116.8 million in 2011 and estimates this to reach 

US$156.2 million by 2016. Water treatment solutions market 

for the automotive industry are categorised as reverse 

osmosis (RO), ultra filtration (UF)/micro filtration (MF), ion 

exchange (IE), and electro-deionisation (EDI). Wastewater 

treatment solutions are divided into primary, secondary 

and tertiary treatments. 

“While automotive may not be the most water-intensive 

industry, automakers are keen to lower their water 

use per unit of vehicle produced,” said Frost & Sullivan 

Environmental Senior Consultant David Lee. “Although the 

quality of water used may not be a critical factor, unlike in 

the pharmaceutical or power industries, the automotive 

industry has collectively started adopting more efficient 

water treatment solutions.” 

Membrane technology will continue to be the solution 

of choice for treating makeup water and cooling water, 

and be used as a key component in the secondary 

treatment of the wastewater treatment process. 

Membrane solutions such as RO and MF/UF are preferred 

for their efficiency and affordability, while the demand for 

IE is expected to decline in the near future, as the process 

involves the discharge of huge amounts of harmful byproducts 

and waste. 

Thailand and Indonesia are the largest revenue 

generators for WWWT solutions and will continue to be so till 

2016 due to the on-going reforms in the automotive industry 

and industrialization plans in these countries. Japan and 

South Korea will also continue to be key markets owing to 

the scale of their automotive manufacturing industry. 

However, while the automotive industry is thriving in 

the Asia-Pacific, WWWT is not a matter of priority for the 

manufacturers. The high initial investments deter several 

automotive manufacturers. Barring Japan and South 

Korea, vehicle manufacturers in Southeast Asia are slow 

adopters of technology and have low awareness about 

water sustainability. 

“To tap the cost-conscious Asia-Pacific automotive 

end-user market, WWWT solution providers must offer 

competitively priced products,” noted Mr Lee. “They 

should also ensure a high level of customization and 

design, and establish a strong local presence to remain 

competitive.” 

reporters after the opening of the Fifth National Energy 

Forum recently. He said talks have already started and 

there is an “openness” on the Selangor state government’s 

side for further discussions, while Prime Minister 

and the Cabinet have stated that they are open to the 

takeover subject to a “willing buyer, willing seller” basis 

in terms of pricing the water assets. 

Ongkili reiterated that the Langat 2 water treatment 

plant project must go on to ensure sufficient and sustainable 

water supply and that investments continue to flow 

into the country. He said the Langat 2 project will be able 

to supply up to 50% of the state’s water needs compared 

with the current state’s water supply which can only meet 

60% of the needs due to limited water resource. 


Listing of New MWA Members 

MWA NEW MEMBERSHIP LISTING 

New Membership Approved (July 2013) 

Roll No. 

2705 

2706 

2707 

2708 

2709 

2710 

2711 

2712 

2713 

2714 

2715 

2716 

2717 

2718 

2719 

2720 

2721 

2722 

2723 

2724 

2725 

2726 

2727 

2728 

2729 

2730 

2731 

2732 

2733 

2734 

2735 

2736 

2737 

2738 

2739 

2740 

2741 

2742 

2743 

2744 

2745 

2746 

2747 

Membership No. 

IM 0297 

IM 0298 

IM 0299 

IM 0300 

IM 0301 

IM 0302 

IM 0303 

OM 2060 

OM 2061 

OM 2062 

OM 2063 

OM 2064 

OM 2065 

OM 2066 

OM 2067 

OM 2068 

OM 2069 

OM 2070 

OM 2071 

OM 2072 

OM 2073 

OM 2074 

OM 2075 

OM 2076 

OM 2077 

OM 2078 

OM 2079 

OM 2080 

OM 2081 

OM 2082 

OM 2083 

OM 2084 

OM 2085 

OM 2086 

OM 2087 

OM 2088 

OM 2089 

OM 2090 

OM 2091 

OM 2092 

OM 2093 

OM 2094 

OM 2095 

Title 

Mr. 

Mr. 

Mr. 

Mr. 

Mrs. 

Mrs. 

Mr. 

Mr. 

Mr. 

Ir. 

Mr. 

Dr. 

Dr. 

Assoc. Prof. Dr. 

Mr. 

Mr. 

Mr. 

Mr. 

Mr. 

Mr. 

Ybhg. Dato’ Hj. 

Mr. 

Mr. 

Ms. 

Ms. 

Ms. 

Ms. 

Mr. 

Mr. 

Mr. 

Mr. 

Mr. 

Mr. 

Mr. 

Mr. 

Mr. 

Name/Company 

Groundwater Solutions Sdn Bhd 

Tunas Awam Pemaju Sdn Bhd 

Tunas Nasional Holdings Sdn Bhd 

Water Engineering Technology Sdn Bhd 

CDS Engineering Sdn Bhd 

LE Laboratory Equipment Sdn Bhd 

Waterlink Technologies Sdn Bhd 

Shaharuddin bin Nor Mohamed 

Mohd Hazley bin Halim 

Huzaimi bin Mansor 

Nik Mohd Mawardi bin Nik Mohamed Amin 

Nor Idayu binti Omar 

Rasidah binti Md Rashid 

Asabri bin Robenson 

Ng Sau Chan, Henry 

Loh Wei Lun 

Ahmad Rahimi bin Hj. Mat 

Yew Loo Guan 

Abdullah Al Mamun 

Mohamed Hasnain Isa 

Shamsul Rahman Mohamed Kutty 

Zainal Abidin bin Ismail 

Jailani bin Jasmani 

Choo Jern Yue, Edwin 

Ahmad Fhamy bin Ahmad Sallehudin 

Ng Kian Lin 

Elwin Alulod Merquita 

Samsuri bin Rahmat 

Muhammad Yusof bin Anuar 

Tan Chuan Hock 

Nor Farida binti Yusoh 

Nur Farhany binti Khairy 

Rohaiza binti Saidin 

Azrina binti Abd Aziz 

Liew Wai Loan 

Lau Leong Lee, Albert 

Tan Chia Vern 

Ng Koon Teck 

Kalaiselvam A/L Rajagopal 

Sueshanedra Lee A/L Subramaniam 

Muamar Shakir bin Shafurdin 

C M Saidi bin Che Kob 

Zaukamarudi bin Zainudin 

Category 

Institutional 

Institutional 

Institutional 

Institutional 

Institutional 

Institutional 

Institutional 

Ordinary 

Ordinary 

Ordinary 

Ordinary 

Ordinary 

Ordinary 

Ordinary 

Ordinary 

Ordinary 

Ordinary 

Ordinary 

Ordinary 

Ordinary 

Ordinary 

Ordinary 

Ordinary 

Ordinary 

Ordinary 

Ordinary 

Ordinary 

Ordinary 

Ordinary 

Ordinary 

Ordinary 

Ordinary 

Ordinary 

Ordinary 

Ordinary 

Ordinary 

Ordinary 

Ordinary 

Ordinary 

Ordinary 

Ordinary 

Ordinary 

Ordinary 


THE MALAYSIAN WATER 

ASSOCIATION ACTIVITIES AND 

PARTICIPATING EVENTS 2013 

Calendar of Events 

NO. 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

PARTICULARS 

The 5 th IWA-Aspire Conference and Exhibition 

The IWA-Aspire Council Meeting 

The IWA Governing Assembly 

The 3 rd IWA Development Congress & Exhibition 

Visit to Genbina on Hot-tapping technology 

Visit to JalurCahaya (NRW info sharing) 

World Water Monitoring Challenge 

MWA 25 th Anniversary Dinner 

Visit to Pahang-Selangor Raw Water Transfer Site Office 

TENTATIVE DATE 

8-12 September 2013 

10 September 2013 

14 September 2013 

14-17 October 2013 

22 October 2013 

October-December 2013 

October-December 2013 

8 November 2013 

November 2013 

VENUE 

Daejon, South Korea 

Daejon, South Korea 

Istanbul, Turkey 

Nairobi, Kenya 

Shah Alam 

Shah Alam 

Kuala Lumpur 

Shangri-La Hotel Kuala Lumpur 

Karak, Pahang 

* Actual Date/Venue/Topic - yet to be confirmed 

For updates/inquiries: 

Events & Activities 2013 

The Malaysian Water Association (MWA) 

Tel: 03 6201 2250 / 6521 

Fax: 03 6201 5801 

asni@malaysianwater.org.my (Asni Abdullah) 

rubby@malaysianwater.org.my (Rubby Mahmod) 

Training 2013 

Malaysian Water Academy Sdn Bhd (MyWA) 

Tel: 03 6201 1457 / 1562 

Fax: 03 6201 1466 

ameera@malaysianwater.org.my (Ameera Ahmad Tarusan) 

abu.nain@malaysianwater.org.my (Abu Nain) 

Be a MEMBER and enjoy... 

• Participation in MWA Activities (Talk/ Technical Visit/ Seminar) 

• Free MWA Publication 

• Discount Rate for Training/ Publication on Sale 

• Discount rate to Local and International Conference/ Technical Tours 

• Information on the Latest Development in Water & Wastewater Industry 

• Right to Vote for MWA Council Member (Ordinary/ Institutional) 

• Right to Run for Council Member 

• The Platform for Exchanging Views/ Ideas/ Knowledge 

visit us at www.mwa.org.my 

INDEX TO ADVERTISERS 

Indah Water Konsortium www.iwk.com.my............................................................. 

PVT Engineering Sdn. Bhd. www.pvte.com.my ....................................................... 

Water Malaysia 2015 www.watermalaysia.com........................................................ 

IBC 

IFC 

BC 


ORDER FORM 

Advertisement in MWA Quarterly 


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Dear Sir, 

We are pleased to advertise in the MWA Quarterly 

WATER MALAYSIA and wish to book advertising space 

as follows: 

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40 WaterMalaysia June/July 2008

Returning Malaysia's Rivers To L - Malaysian Water Association.

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