KUCHING: Works to upgrade a water treatment facility in Batu Kitang have crossed the two-thirds mark, with the RM138.9 million project on schedule for completion by year’s end.
Speaking to reporters during a work visit to the Batu Kitang Water Treatment Plant on Tuesday (June 30), Utility and Telecommunication Minister Datuk Seri Julaihi Narawi said physical progress now stood at about 67 per cent, with the project having broken ground on Oct 3, 2024 and set to run its full 24-month course.
Once complete, the plant’s overall capacity will rise from 868 million litres a day (MLD) to 968 MLD — a jump of 100 MLD which Julaihi described as a significant boost for both the Kuching and Samarahan divisions.
Three of the five tanks are operating for water filtration, he said, while the remaining two have been completed and due to be commissioned this week, bringing all five tanks online.
Other works still underway include a new mixer and a fifth raw water intake, both still under construction, he added.
Beyond the tanks, the project covers a broad range of upgrades along with a new treated water tank, pump house, power supply facilities and improvements to the raw water intake point at Sungai Sarawak Kiri.
Areas set to benefit include Sg. Mata and Tanjung Parang in Samarahan, as well as zones served through the Jabatan Bekalan Air Luar Bandar (JBALB) network, Julaihi said.
He added that the additional supply should also relieve chronic low water pressure in fast-growing areas such as Stakan and Samarindah.
The state government, he said, remains committed to delivering strategic utility projects that ensure safe, quality and uninterrupted water supply, in step with Sarawak’s broader development goals heading into 2030.
