KOTA SAMARAHAN: Housing developers have been urged to allocate land for elevated water tanks in all new residential developments to ensure the water supply system can meet the needs of growing communities in the future.
Utility and Telecommunication Minister, Datuk Seri Julaihi Narawi, said utility infrastructure should be incorporated into development plans from the outset to avoid water pressure issues as residential areas continue to expand.
He said this during the ground-breaking ceremony for the Samarindah Elevated Water Tank project at Jalan Samarindah Baru today.
He said Samarindah should have had a designated site for an elevated water tank, but none was provided, forcing Sarawak Water to identify and acquire a new parcel of land.
“The land acquisition process involves substantial compensation costs, estimated at around RM30 million due to the significant increase in land value in the area.
“I hope all developers planning new housing projects will take into account the need to reserve land for elevated water tanks so that the government can provide reliable water infrastructure more efficiently in the future,” he said.
Julaihi added that the government is reviewing its current approach to determine the need for elevated water tanks by assessing the overall development of an area rather than basing the requirement solely on the number of houses within an individual project.
He said that although a single housing development may not meet the previous minimum threshold, the cumulative growth of surrounding developments could eventually create the need for an elevated water tank.
On the water supply situation, Julaihi assured that production from the Batu Kitang Water Treatment Plant remains sufficient, stressing that the main issue currently affecting some consumers is water pressure rather than supply capacity.
He also advised residents not to install water pumps directly onto the main supply pipe, as doing so could reduce water pressure for neighbouring households.
“Water pumps should only be installed after a storage tank to ensure water pressure for other consumers is not affected,” he said.
Julaihi said the government remains committed to strengthening long-term water infrastructure planning to ensure rapidly developing areas such as Samarindah continue to enjoy sufficient water supply and stable water pressure.
