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Transcript of BEM Jun04-Aug04 (Water Engineering)
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WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN MALAYSIA –
THE WAY FORWARD
ACHIEVING WORLD CLASS WATER UTILITY
COMPANY STANDARD
INTEGRATED RIVER BASIN MANAGEMENT
ACCREDITED CHECKERS REGISTRATION
GUIDELINES FOR AN ENGINEER TAKING OVER
THE WORK OF ANOTHER
MANAGING FLOOD PROBLEMS IN MALAYSIA
L E M B A G A
J U R U T E R A
MALAYSIA
THE BOARD OF ENGINEERS MALAYSIA LEMBAGA JURUTERA MALAYSIA
KDN PP11720/9/2003 ISSN 0128-4347 VOL.22 JUNE-AUGUST 2004 RM10.00
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Editor’s Note
B U L E T I N I N G E N I E U R 2
Members of the Board of Engineers Malaysia(BEM) 2003/2004
President YBhg. Tan Sri Dato’ Ir. Hj Zaini Omar
RegistrarIr. Ashari bin Mohd Yakub
SecretaryIr. Dr. Judin bin Abdul Karim
Members of BEM YBhg. Tan Sri Dato’ Ir. Md Radzi bin Mansor
YBhg. Datuk Ir. Santhakumar Sivasubramaniam YBhg. Dato’ Ir. Dr. Hj. Abdul Rashid bin Maidin
YBhg. Datu Ir. Hubert Thian Chong Hui YBhg. Dato’ Ir. Ashok Kumar Sharma
YBhg. Datuk Ir. Md Sidek bin Ahmad YBhg. Datuk Ir. Hj. Keizrul Abdullah
YBhg. Dato’ Ir. Kok Soo ChonIr. Ho Jin WahIr. Yim Hon Wa
Ir. Prof. Ow Chee ShengIr. Mohd Aman bin Hj Idris
Ir. Hj. Abu Bakar bin Che’ ManIr. Prof. Abang Abdullah bin Abang Ali
Tuan Hj. Basar bin JuraimiAr. Paul Lai Chu
Editorial Board
Advisor YBhg. Tan Sri Dato’ Ir. Hj Zaini Omar
Chairman YBhg Datuk Ir. Shanthakumar Sivasubramaniam
EditorIr. Fong Tian Yong
Members YBhg. Dato’ Ir. Ashok Kumar SharmaIr. Prof. Madya Dr. Eric Goh Kok Hoe
Ir. Prof. Ishak bin Abdul RahmanIr. Prof. Dr. Ruslan HassanIr. Prof. Dr. K. S. Kannan
Ir. Nitchiananthan BalasubramaniamIr. Mustaza bin Hj. SalimIr. Md Amir bin KasimIr. Dr Lee Say ChongIr. Chan Boon TeikIr. Choo Kok Beng
Publication OfficerPn. Nik Kamaliah bt. Nik Abdul Rahman
Assistant Publication OfficerPn. Che Asiah bt. Mohamad Ali
Design and ProductionInforeach Communications Sdn Bhd
Buletin Ingenieur is published by the Board of Engineers Malaysia (Lembaga Jurutera Malaysia)
and is distributed free of charge to registeredProfessional Engineers.
The statements and opinions expressed in thispublication are those of the writers.
BEM invites all registered engineers to contributearticles or send their views and comments to the
following address:
Publication CommitteeLembaga Jurutera Malaysia,Tingkat 17, Ibu Pejabat JKR
Kompleks Kerja Raya Malaysia,Jalan Sultan Salahuddin
50580 Kuala LumpurTel: 03-2698 0590 Fax: 03-2692 5017
E-mail: [email protected] [email protected] site: http://www.bem.org.my
Advertising/SubscriptionsSubscription Form is on page 54
Advertisement Form is on page 55
President’s Message
There are a host of activities relating to waterwithin the country. Firstly, 2003 was declared the“International Year of Freshwater” by the UNGeneral Assembly. Recently the “1st Malaysia Water
Week” was hosted in June 2004 with seminars andexhibitions. This will be followed by anotherseminar on “Water and Waste Water Technologies”to be held in August 2004.
The prominence given to water can beunderstandable given the current concerns, globally and nationally.Water, as the most essential of life-sustaining elements, provides formankind not only drinking water and sanitation, but also water fortransport, food, fish, recreation, energy, irrigation and industrialprocesses and so on.
The recent restructuring of Government Ministries to place water-
related departments under one Ministry, namely water supply,sewerage, drainage and river signifies the focus of the nation towardsintegration of water resources management . With this, the nationexpects greater expertise and innovation from the engineeringfraternity to support the Malaysian Water Vision 2025 to conserveand manage its water resources to ensure adequate and safe waterfor all, including the environment.
TAN SRI DATO’ Ir. HJ. ZAINI BIN OMARPresident
BOARD OF ENGINEERS MALAYSIA
The article on OSC which appeared in the December2003 issue of Buletin Ingenieur has proven effective
in informing Professional Engineers of the newsubmitting procedure for Building Plan and CFOthrough the One Stop Centre. From inquiries receivedand comments gathered on the ground, views and
suggestions sent to the Buletin Ingenieur will be of great help as weunderstand that the relevant authority is planning to review andimprove the guidelines on OSC.
On matters relating to publication, the publication committeehas lately re-examined its role and decided to expand is functions toother areas such as publication of information booklets, BEMguidelines and compilation of published articles. Suggestions andviews on this matter are invited.
Ir. Fong Tian Yong
Editor
KDN PP11720/9/2003 ISSN 0128-4347 VOL. 22 JUNE-AUG 2004
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Announcement
Conference on
Automation andComputer Networks(CACN) 2004
Date:
July 22-23, 2004
Venue:Putra World Trade Centre,Kuala Lumpur
Organiser:Association of ConsultingEngineers Malaysia (ACEM) &
Electrical and ElectronicsAssociation of Malaysia (TEEAM)
E
vent
Cale
ndar
PublicationCalendar
The following list is thePublication Calendar forthe year 2004. While we
normally seek contributionsfrom experts for eachspecial theme, we are alsopleased to accept articlesrelevant to themes listed.
Please contact the Editor orthe Publication Officer inadvance if you would liketo make such contributionsor to discuss details anddeadlines.
September 2004: ENVIRONMENTDecember 2004: FACILITY MANAGEMENTMarch 2005: CONSTRUCTION LIABILITY
B U L E T I N I N G E N I E U R 4
The Board of Engineers Malaysia is introducing an Accredited Checker Registration in geotechnicaland/or structural engineering works in line with the Section 10B of the Registration of Accredited
Checker, Registration of Engineers Act 1967 (Revised 2002).
Several seminar roadshows on Registration of Accredited Checkers are planned throughout Malaysia.All registered professional engineers are invited to attend the Accredited Checkers Seminar scheduledas follows:
State Venue Date Status
Kuala Lumpur Bunga Room, Pan Pacific Hotel Kuala Lumpur 10/7/2004 Confirmed
Pulau Pinang Equatorial Hotel, Pulau Pinang 24/7/2004 Confirmed
Johor Puteri Pan Pacific Hotel, Johor Bahru 12/8/2004 Tentative
Kuching Merdeka Palace Hotel, Kuching 13/8/2004 Confirmed
Kota Kinabalu Promenade Hotel, Kota Kinabalu 14/8/2004 Confirmed
Terengganu Grand Continental Hotel, Kuala Terengganu To be advised Tentative
Kuala Lumpur Pan Pacific Hotel Kuala Lumpur To be advised Tentative
Participants will be charged a nominal fee of RM50 each. All interested participants are requested tofill in the registration form and return it to the Board two weeks prior to the event.
ACCREDITED CHECKERS SEMINAR/ROADSHOWS
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Accredited Checkers Day Seminar
I/we would like to register for the above seminar.
I/we enclosed payment amounting to *RM ____________________ by cheque/bank draft/money order/postal order ________________ payable to Board of Engineers Malaysia. Please add 0.50 cent foroutstation cheque.
Name:..........................................................................................................................................................................................
Professional Engineer Registration No.:............................................................................................................................
Designation : ......................................................................................................................................................................
Company : ......................................................................................................................................................................
Address : ......................................................................................................................................................................
Telephone : ......................................................................................................................................................................
Facsimile : ......................................................................................................................................................................
E-mail : ......................................................................................................................................................................
Contact Person : ......................................................................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................Name:Date:
Terms & Conditions•
Confirmation and reservation will be on first-come-first-serve basis.• Any cancellation or replacement must be conveyed to the Accredited Checkers Secretariat before thedeadline.
• Paid registration is not refundable for any cancellation made after deadline.• All completed forms should reach the address below two weeks prior to the event.*Participants will be charged a fee of RM50 each.
Accredited Checkers Secretariat
Board of Engineers Malaysia
Tingkat 17, Ibu Pejabat JKRKompleks Kerja Raya MalaysiaJalan Sultan Salahuddin50580 Kuala LumpurTel: 03-2698 0590 / 03-2696 7095 Fax: 03-2692 5017E-mail: [email protected] ; [email protected] ; [email protected]: www.bem.org.my
REGISTRATION FORM
L E M B A G A
J U R U T E R A
MALAYSIA
✁
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Update
B U L E T I N I N G E N I E U R 24
Following the collapse of Block 1, Highland Tower apartmentson December 11, 1993, the Cabinet decided to implementseveral corrective and preventive actions.
Malaysian authorities have been instructed to look intovarious legislations that regulate the building industry in thecountry. After careful study of the various Acts, the Ministryof Housing and Local Government found that the Street,Drainage and Building Act 1974 needs to be amended totighten control of building development especiallydevelopment on hill slopes.
The Ministry has decided to revise the Street, Drainage
and Building Act 1974 and Uniform Building By-laws 1984 toaddress the need for Accredited Checkers to enhance the safetyaspect of geotechnical and structural engineering works atthe design and/or construction stage of a project.
The Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM) has taken theinitiative to amend the Registration of Engineers Act 1967 tointroduce a registration of Accredited Checkers on geotechnicaland structural engineering works. This in line with the requestfrom the Ministry of Housing and Local Government tomaintain a list of Accredited Checkers for the purpose of checking structural and geotechnical engineering works toensure safety of buildings.
What Is Accredited Checker?
An Accredited Checker means a person registered underSection 10B, Registration of Engineers (Amendment) Act 2002[Act A1158].
The Accredited Checker who shall be an independentchecker*, is required to check the safety aspect of geotechnicaland structural engineering works at the design and/orconstruction stage of a project done by another engineer andas and when called for by local authorities.
* shall preserve his independence and has no professional or financial
interest in the said building checked by him/her.
Why Accredited Checker?
One of the measures to prevent structural failures on hillsites is to require the geotechnical and structural designs forbuildings to be checked by an Accredited Checker.
The Accredited Checker could be appointed at thebeginning of the project to enable the Accredited Checker towork alongside the design engineer. An Accredited Checkercould be appointed at any stage as ordered by a local authorityfor a new project.
Who Can Apply?
An Accredited Checker shall:i) be a Professional Engineer registered under the Act in
the civil, structural or geotechnical engineering discipline;
Accredited Checkers Registration
ii) have at least 10 years relevant practical experience inthe design or construction of buildings;
iii) have practical experience in one of the following:a) Geotechnical
1) Foundations;2) Retaining Systems and Reinforced Soil Structures;
and3) Slope Engineering and Embankments
b) Structural1) Buildings greater than five storeys;2) Buildings of unconventional construction with span
greater than 10 metres; and3) Buildings adjacent to existing buildings with
complex interaction;iv) by virtue of his/her ability, standing in the profession or
special knowledge or practical experience in civil,structural or geotechnical engineering he/she is deservingof such registration, provideda) during the period seven years immediately preceding
the date of his/her application, has been engaged ingeotechnical or structural design after registration asProfessional Engineer; and
b) for a continuous period of one year immediately
preceding the date of his/her application, has had suchpractical experience in the relevant field gained inMalaysia; and
v) have attended and passed the interview conducted bythe Accredited Checkers Committee.
How To Apply?
All applications shalli. be made in Form B3; (obtainable from BEM’s office or
www.bem.org.my )ii. be accompanied by a copy of CV on the qualifications and
practical experience highlighting the specific areas and level
of responsibilities involved in the project(s);iii. be accompanied by three copies of actual design or review
report done by the applicant; andiv. be accompanied by a processing fee of RM50 and a
registration fee of RM300 in money order/bank draft/chequemade payable to the Board of Engineers Malaysia
All inquiries pertaining to the Registration of AccreditedCheckers shall be submitted to:Registration DepartmentBoard of Engineers MalaysiaTingkat 17, Ibu Pejabat JKRKompleks Kerja Raya MalaysiaJalan Sultan Salahuddin, 50580 Kuala LumpurTel: 603-2696 7095/96/97/98 Fax: 603-2692 5017e-mail: [email protected] ; [email protected] website: www.bem.org.my
BEM
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Update
B U L E T I N I N G E N I E U R 25
FUNCTIONS
Promote integrated management and use of
freshwaters,
Enhance environmental quality and
Promote environmentally-sustainable socio-
economic development.
In fulfilling this Mission, the Freshwater Unit is continuing
its fundamental work in promoting the integrated
management and use of freshwater resources ininternational drainage basins and in facilitating
development of training materials and courses that
contribute to this Mission. UNEP has been designated by
the UN Secretary General as the UN agency with
responsibility for global mandates for water. Within this
mandate, the Mission of the Freshwater Unit is to provide
tools and advice.
OPERATION
The Freshwater Unit facilitates the environmentally-sustainable management and use of freshwater resources,
particularly for internationally-shared water resources.
It is also:
Developing And Conducting International,
Regionally-Focused Workshops On:
The application of region-specific and practical
economic instrumentals,
Eutrophication and non point source pollution control
techniques for management of freshwater resources,
and
The reduction of pollution impacts of mining
activities.
These workshops and related training materials and texts
provide countries with a range of techniques to address
the water-specific issues of sustainable development.
Completing Comprehensive Scientific Reviews Of
The Major Geochemical Cycles,
including assessment of their impacts on freshwater
resources, to enhance environmental quality worldwide.
UNEP Freshwater UnitSubmitted by Lim Juay Jin
Collaborative Efforts To Identify, Assess And
Promote Appropriate Technologies
for freshwater augmentation and drinking water
protection on a regional basis are being carried out in
association with UNEP’s International Environment
Technology Centre (IETC) and other United Nations
agencies.
The Freshwater Unit also undertaking collaborative
efforts with UNEP’s Oceans and Coasteal Areas Unit to
integrated planning activities in freshwater drainage
basins and the coastal areas into which they drain. Initial
efforts focus on the East Asian Regional Seas Programme
activity area and are of particular significance to
governments in the context of the assessment and
control of land-based sources of aquatic pollution
provisions of the United Nations Convention of the Law
of Sea.
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
The development of innovative techniques and
approaches through the publication of a range of public
information and awareness-building materials on global,
regional and sub-regional freshwater resource problems
and solutions, including brochures and reports for policy
makers, provides the means by which the Freshwater
Unit is contributing to sustainable socio-economic
development. In this regard, the Freshwater Unit, in
collaboration with UNEP’s GEMS/ Water Programme
Activity Centre, is involved in several fundamental
components of a multi-agency effort, including synthesis
of experiences on the river basin scale, in relation to
integrated management of freshwater resources. These
activities complement and support national efforts to
implement Agenda 21.
Project management using the environmentally-sound
management of inland waters (EMINWA) planning
framework.
Technical reports and studies on water issues.
Training courses, workshops and supporting materials,
specific to their region of application. Public awareness materials on water resources
management.
Water resources management technology transfer. BEM
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BEMnews
A dinner was organized on
May 5, 2004 in conjunction
with the gazetting of theRegistration of Engineers
(Amendment) Act 2002, and in
appreciation of engineers who have
been active in helping the Board of
Engineers Malaysia.
The Guest of Honour for the night
was YB Dato’ Seri S. Samy Vellu,
Minister of Works, Malaysia. In his
speech, read by Deputy Minister of
Works , YB Dato ’ Ir. Mohd . Zin
Mohamed, the Minister encouraged
young engineering graduates to
register with the BEM before they start
practising. To Professional Engineers,
YB Dato’ Seri Samy Vellu stressed that
they must not certify works that they
have not supervised
BEM President, Tan Sri Dato’ Ir.
Zaini Omar highlighted some of the
amendments of the Registration of
Engineers Act and reminded all
registered engineers that:
only full-fledged engineers
registered under the Act as
Professional Engineers shall be
entitled:-
- to submit plans, engineering
surveys, drawings, schemes,
proposals, reports, design or
studies to any person or
authority in Malaysia
- to practice, carry on business
or take up employment which
requires them to carry out or
perform professional
engineering services
- to be ent it led to describe
themselves or hold themselves
out under any name, style or
title:
bearing the words
“Professional Engineer” or
the equivalent in any other
language
using the abbreviation “Ir.”
and “P.Eng.” before and
after his name
BEM Dinner
YB Dato’ Ir. Mohd Zin Mohamed,delivering the Minister of Works’ address
BEM President YBhg Tan Sri Dato’ Ir. Zaini delivering his speech
YB Dato’ Ir. Mohd Zin presenting a special gift to YBhg Dato’ Ir. Ng Chong Yuen,Immediate Past President of BEM (2002-2003).
be entitled to recover in any
court any fee, charge,
remuneration for any
professional engineering
services rendered to uphold the dignity, high
standing and reputation of the
profession
to have full regard for public
safety with complete fidelity to
client
not to maliciously injure the
professional reputation, prospect or
business of another engineer, and
not to canvass or solicit
professional employment
Among the dinner programmes
was a Certificate Presentation to the
Examiners for Professional
Assessment Examination (PAE) and
Panel Evaluators for Engineering
Accreditation Council (EAC).
BEM Dinner L E M B A G A
J U R U T E R A
MALAYSIA
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BEMnews
A group photo of examiners for Professional Assessment Examination (PAE) and Panel Evaluators for Engineering AccreditationCouncil (EAC)
(L to R) Ir. Izlan Robert Abdullah, Ir. Prof. Dr. KS Kanan, Ir. Prof. Madya Dr. Mohammad Nor Berhan, Ir. Prof. Dr. Zainal AbidinAhmad, YBhg Dato’ Ir. Ng Chong Yuen, YB Dato’ Ir. Mohd Zin Mohamed, YBhg Tan Sri Dato’ Ir. Zaini Omar, Ir. Chan Cheong Loong,Ir. Tengku Abdul Aziz Tengku Haris, Ir. Prof. Dr. Yusoff Ali, Ir. Jeena a/l Vengadasalam, Ir. Dr. Ramlee Karim
YB Dato’ Ir. Mohd ZinMohamed sharing a joke
with the BEM President
BEM
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Water resources
development has
been a catalyst for
s o c i o e c o n o m i c
development of the country. However,
the water situation for some parts of
the country has changed from one of
relative abundance to one of scarcity.
The growth in population andexpansion in urbanisation,
industrialisation and irrigated
agriculture are imposing growing
demands and pressure on water
resources, besides contributing to
rising water pollution. Any new
development of water resources incurs
rising costs, besides having to face
rigorous scrutinisation from
environmentalists and
conservationists. The fact that the
volume of water available is finite andthe demand for water is increasing
indicates that the supply approach in
water management is unsustainable.
WORLD SCENARIO
Water is a global issue. The World
Water Vision Report, 2000
acknowledged that there is a global
water crisis. The crisis is not about
having too little water to satisfy our
needs. It is a crisis of managing water
so badly that billions of people -and
the environment- suffer badly.
Lack of water services is one of
the most important physical signs of
extreme poverty. As estimated in the
Global Water Supply and Sanitation
Assessment 2000 Report by World
Health Organisation (WHO) and
United Nations Children’s Fund
(UNICEF), globally, in the year 2000,
1.1 billion people had no access to
improved water supply and 2.4 billion
were without access to improvedsanitation. Two thirds of people
without access to improved water
supply and approximately 80% of
those without access to improved
sanitation in the world live in Asia.
An estimated 670 million people in
Asia lack access to improved water
supply, while an estimated 1.9 billion
lack adequate sanitation, representing
18% and 52% of the region’s
population, respectively.
According to WHO, a child dies
every 15 seconds, on a worldwidebasis, from diarrhoea, caused largely
by poor sanitation and water supply.
Diarrhoeal diseases have killed more
children in the last 10 years than all
people lost to armed conflicts since
World War II. Water, sanitation and
hygiene interventions have been
shown to reduce sickness from
diarrhoea by between 25% and 33%.
Furthermore, as a determinant of
quality of life, water is as decisive as
the very air we breathe.In the Millennium Declaration,
2000, 191 heads of States and
Governments pledged to ‘reduce by
half the proportion of people without
access to safe drinking water’ by 2015.
The Johannesburg Summit of
September 2002 – the World Summit
on Sustainable Development –
brought together tens of thousands
of participants, including heads of
States and Governments, to focus the
world’s attention and direct action
towards meeting difficult challenges,
including improving people’s lives
and conserving natural resources. The
Johannesburg Summit Declaration
agreed that the Millennium
Declaration’s water supply goal
should be extended to include
sanitation as well. Agreement was
also reached in developing integrated
water resources management and
water efficiency plans by 2005.
The world would face a bleak
future if we continue to adoptbusiness as usual. The potential
problems include deforestation, rise
in sea level, decreasing crop yields,
water conflicts, increased severity/
frequency of tropical storms,
widespread outbreak of diseases and
declining fish population.
MALAYSIAN SCENARIO
Under the Constitution, matters
pertaining to natural resources such
as land, mines, forest and water supply fall under the jurisdiction of
the states. Water supply becomes a
Federal matter only if a dispute arises
in the case of a river basin, which
crosses state boundary. State
Governments are responsible for the
development, operation and
maintenance of water supplies. Since
water is important for socio-economic
development of the nation, the
Federal Government provides soft
loans to State Governments for publicwater supply infrastructure and grant
for rural water supply development.
At the Federal level, the National
Water Resources Council (NWRC) was
set up in 1998 to pursue a more
effective water management,
including the implementation of
inter-state water transfers. To ensure
sustainable water resources and
efficient water supply services, the
Federal Government is moving
towards greater involvement in the
management of water resources and
water supply services, and the
implementation of integrated water
resources management.
The national water supply
coverage in 2003 is 93%, that is 97%
and 86% for urban and rural areas
respectively. The estimated population
in 2003 is 24.5 million with urban-
rural proportion of 60:40.
Sewerage services fall under the
Joint List of the Federal Constitution.
The Federal Government providesgrant for sewerage infrastructure. The
provision of sewerage services was
privatised to Indah Water Konsortium
(IWK) in 1993. There are 144 local
Water Resources Management InMalaysia – The Way ForwardBy YM Raja Dato’ Zaharaton Raja Zainal Abidin, Director General, Economic Planning Unit
Water Resources Management InMalaysia – The Way Forward
B U L E T I N I N G E N I E U R 8
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authorities in the country and IWK has
taken over the management and
provision of sewerage services in 84
local authorities. The IWK Concession
Agreement does not cover the states
of Kelantan, Sabah and Sarawak.
The Engineering Division of theMinistry of Health provides sewerage
facilities to rural communities. A
Sanitation Commission will be
established to formulate economic and
safety regulations to safeguard public
interest and promote the development
of sewerage and solid waste
management.
In 2002, the provision of sewerage
services that falls under the jurisdiction
of the concessionaire covers a
population of 16 million whilst thesewerage facilities provided by the
Ministry of Health cover a rural
population of 7.6 million. The
estimated population in 2002 is 24.1
million.
WATER SUPPLY SECTOR
The increased demand for
clean water has led to
competition in water use among
the various water user sectors
and the continued economicgrowth will magnify this even
more acutely. The practicable
limit of surface water resources
development has been reached
in regions of high demand, and
it has become necessary to consider
inter-basin and inter-state water
transfers.
The current approaches towards
water supply in cities are supply-
driven – when there’s a “shortage”,
new sources are developed. This‘business as usual’ approach is no
longer sustainable because of the
ever-increasing water demand. Water
demand management that focuses on
conservation measures to make better
use of limited supplies would be an
appropriate approach.
Inter-State Raw Water Transfer
The Government is planning to
implement a major inter-state raw
water transfer project, that is, from
Pahang to Selangor. The project will
transfer 2,260 million litres of water
per day (mld). Water will be captured
by Kelau Dam, which is an earth dam
with a height of 30 metres and
reservoir area of 24 square kilometres.
Water from Kelau Dam in Pahang will
be released to Semantan River via
Kelau River. The Semantan Intake and
Pumping Station will then transfer the
water via dual pipelines to the tunnel
inlet. The length of each pipe is 11.8km with a diameter of 3 m. The tunnel
transfers the water across the Main
Range to Langat 2 Water Treatment
Plant (WTP) in Selangor. The length
of the tunnel is 44.6 km and its
diameter is 5.2 m. During the
construction of the tunnel, four adits
will be constructed (that is, two in
Pahang and two in Selangor) for the
removal of spoil materials. Langat 2
WTP will be constructed in three
phases according to the planned volume of water to be transferred
from Pahang to Selangor; First Phase
– 1,000 mld; Second Phase – 500 mld;
and Third Phase – 760 mld.
Major projects are carried out
through a participatory approach in
order to incorporate the views of the
stakeholders in the decision-making
process. For example, in the case of
Pahang-Selangor Inter-State Raw Water
Transfer Project, besides undertaking aDetailed Environmental Impact
Assessment (DEIA) of the project, the
project-affected people, together with
the NGOs that have shown interest in
the project, were involved in the
planning process. This participatory
approach will ensure that the project-
affected people will benefit from the
implementation of the project and
minimal disturbance is created to the
environment.
Water Demand
Management Initiatives
Business as usual in the water
supply sector is unsustainable. Water
demand management that seeks to
maximise the usage of water, also
conserves water and thus limits the need
for new supplies. In 1999, the
Government produced a guideline
entitled Guidelines for Installing A
Rainwater Collection and Utilisation
System, which was circulated todevelopers and relevant agencies. The
guideline documents some of the ways
in which rainwater can be collected
from roofs of buildings and the practical
utilisation of rainwater. More than 50%
of the domestic water use does not need
treated water quality. In June 2002, the
Government imposed a condition for
the installation of 6-litre toilet flushing
systems in new buildings.
The programme of reducing non-
revenue water (NRW) and rehabilitationof water treatment plants and
distribution pipes is an on-going
programme in every five-year
development plan. In the Eighth
Malaysia Plan (2001-2005),
nearly RM1 billion is allocated for
the programme of NRW
reduction and rehabilitation of
water supply systems. The
campaigns on water conservation
awareness by the water supply
sectors and water resources
agencies are undertaken on acontinuous basis.
SEWERAGE SECTOR
Sewage is one of the major
pollutants of our water bodies. A
reliable and efficient sewerage system
is undoubtedly a vital contributing
factor towards the improvement in
environmental health of the nation.
The municipal sewerage services are
provided by the concessionaire andlocal authorities, whilst the
Department of Sewerage Services is
entrusted with the responsibilities of
overseeing and regulating sewerage
development in the country.
The Ministry of Health, through
its Engineering Division, implements
the rural sanitation programme. The
most effective and cheap method for
disposal of excreta in rural areas is
by pour-flush latrines. The
construction of sanitary latrines
provides the means to initiate the
effort to educate the rural population
on the use of a more comfortable and
hygienic method for the disposal of
excreta.
B U L E T I N I N G E N I E U R 9
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Cities are well-known for being
polluters of the aquatic environment
with sewage and municipal
wastewater, industrial effluents and
polluted urban runoffs. The
Government has undertaken a
National Sewerage Project, which ismade up of 13 projects that cover the
Klang Valley and the major urban
centres in the west coast of Peninsular
Malaysia – Kangar, Alor Setar,
Butterworth, Bukit Mertajam,
Seremban, Port Dickson and Melaka.
The project components are made up
of 10 sewerage treatment plants
(STPs), three centralised sludge
treatment facilities (CSTF) and a
network with a total length of 117
kilometres. The National SewerageProject will be extended into the next
plan period, Ninth Malaysia Plan,
2006-2010.
INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCES
MANAGEMENT (IWRM)
The management of water
resources should be based on sound
policies and strengthened institutional
arrangements. The first step towards
IWRM in Malaysia was realised with
the formation of Selangor Water Management Authority in 1999. This
authority is commonly known as
LUAS (Lembaga Urus Air Selangor )
and was formed with the aim of
adopting and implementing IWRM at
the river basin level within the state
of Selangor.
An in teg ra ted riv er ba sin
management project is being
undertaken in two river basins,
namely Selangor River and Kedah
River, in order to establish aframework for integrated
management of river basins and their
water resources. A Sarawak IWRM
Master Plan Study will also be
implemented during the remaining
Eighth Malaysia Plan Period (2001-
2005), with the objective of
formulating a master plan for the
integrated development and
management of Sarawak’s water
resources.
A national study for the effective
implementation of IWRM in Malaysia
is being planned with the aims of
creating awareness and generating
advocacy in IWRM nationwide,
developing capacity building of
implementing agencies in IWRM and
developing best management
practices in IWRM within the
Malaysian context.
The programmes on river
rehabilitation are carried out on
selected rivers with the objectives of pollution abatement and water
quality improvement. The Klang
River Clean Up Programme involves
construction, maintenance and
desilting activities, education and
beautification programmes,
relocation of squatters, rehabilitation
of aquatic life, treatment of animal
waste and water pollution control.
Integrated action plans were
formulated towards pollution
abatement and water quality improvement in the following rivers:
Langat, Segget, Tebrau and Skudai.
THE WAY FORWARD
There is a political will to improve
the Malaysian water sector. This is
manifested in the formation of the
new Cabinet after the recent 11th
General Elections. The national water
sector is now being addressed with
respect to improving services and
conserving resources through theformation of the Ministry of Energy,
Water and Communications, and the
Ministry of Natural Resources and
Environment respectively. The
function of water supply services in
the Ministry of Works and the
Department of Sewerage Services in
the Ministry of Housing and Local
Government will be transferred to the
Ministry of Energy, Water and
Communications. The Department of
Irrigation and Drainage (DID) in theMinistry of Agriculture will be
transferred to the Ministry of Natural
Resources and Environment. DID is
the custodian of the National
Hydrological Network and is
responsible for flood forecasting and
the management of rivers, floods,
urban drainage/stormwater runoff
and coastal zones. In other words,
DID is responsible for surface water
resources. The Department of Mineral
and Geosciences that is responsible
for groundwater resources is already
in the Ministry of Natural Resources
and Environment.
An individual problem in the
national water sector, such as NRW,
cannot be solved in isolation. It can
only be effectively addressed after
the core problems have been
resolved. These problems include
poor governance, low tariffs and lack
of funds. Measures to resolve the
problems may include transparentpolicies, independent regulatory
bodies, a paradigm shift in tariffs,
the involvement of civil society and
the involvement of the Federal
Government in water services and
management of water resources.
We must rethink water
management. Water is everybody’s
responsibility and we are part of the
solution. We no longer live in the
era in which we could have indefinite
expansion of water services andsupplies. We have to focus on how
we use water. That’s where new water
will be ‘found’. The water authorities,
purveyors and consumers must play
their role in water resources and
supply conservation from capture to
consumption and to wastewater
discharge.
The effective implementation of
IWRM will contribute to the
realisation of a sustainable national
water sector. Reforms and initiatives
are needed towards providingadequate as well as an enabling
environment for the effective and
efficient implementation of IWRM.
IWRM formulates and implements a
course of action involving the
management of water and related
resources to achieve optimum
allocation of water resources within
a catchment or river basin. The scope
of IWRM is wide and it may be
addressed in the following ways;
integration of different componentsof water; integration of water with
related land and environmental
resources; and integration of water
with social and economic
development.
At the international level, there
is a need for sustained and adequate
financing for the development of
water supply and sewerage
infrastructure in developing
countries. This is crucial because the
availability of basic water supply and
sewerage infrastructure is a
prerequisite to economic
development, poverty eradication
and improvement of the quality of
life of the people.
B U L E T I N I N G E N I E U R 10
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Managing Water Supply In Selangor And Kuala Lumpur
By Ir. V. Subramaniam, Pengurus Besar Operasi, Perbadanan Urus Air Selangor Berhad
PUAS Bhd, the newly corporatised Selangor Water Management Company is a successor company toJabatan Bekalan Air Selangor, taking over its functions and duties to manage the distribution of potable water to five million consumers including industries and commercial buildings in Selangorand the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya. Although the production of treated water
and water treatment have achieved world-class standards, there is still much to be done in themanaging and distribution of the treated water to the consumers. This paper highlights severalproblems related to the management of water supply in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, and outlinessome strategies to overcome these problems in phases so that water supply managed by PUAS Bhdwill be of world-class standard in all respects.
W
ater supply in
Selangor and Kuala
Lumpur is managed
by the newly corporatised Selangor Water
Management Company (PUAS Bhd),
a successor company to Jabatan
Bekalan Air Selangor. PUAS Bhd
presently manages a supply of 3,500
million litres of water per day to about
1.3 million domestic and industrial
consumers (accounts) in Selangor and
the Federal Territories of Kuala
Lumpur and Putrajaya.
Since the 1990s, the production
facilities have all been privatised,
including the development of new
source works such as the Selangor
River Water Supply Scheme Phases 2
and 3 on a ‘build-operate-transfer’
basis. The Water Supply Department
then, now a wholly State-owned
corporatised company, buys the
treated water in bulk from the
concession companies, distributes the
water to its consumers through a
network of some 13,500 km of pipelines and does the billing and
collection as well. Although it has
achieved world-class standard in
water treatment construction of
modern water treatment plants
equipped with up-to-date water
treatment facilities and water quality
monitoring systems, there is stillmuch to be done in the managing
and distribution of the treated water
to the consumers. In recent years, a
lot of problems have arisen in the
distribution of water to the
consumers. The major problems
surfaced in 1998 when the Klang
Valley was hit by a water crisis due
to severe drought and suffered from
water shortage for a period of six
months. This paper highlights
several problems related to the
management of water supply in
Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, and
outlines some strategies to overcome
these problems in phases so that
water supply managed by PUAS Bhd
will be of world-class standard in all
respects. By world-class standard,
it means that one does not have any
doubt whatsoever in drinking water
direct from the tap and one could
also enjoy the full reliability of water supply in terms of both quality and
quantity. A world-class water utility
company must also provide excellent
customer services, show an efficient
Achieving World-Class Water
Utility Company Standard
economic performance and have
good corporate governance, all of
these benchmarked against some of
the leading water utility companiesin the world.
CURRENT STATUS OF
WATER SUPPLY
Under the Federal Constitution of
Malaysia, water supply matters are the
responsibility of the States. The State
Governments are responsible for the
development of water resources,
production, operation and
maintenance of public water supplies
in their respective states. The States
operate the supplies through either the
State Public Works Departments, State
Water Supply Departments, State
Water Supply Boards or State Water
Supply Corporations, and more
recently private companies. The State
Government of Selangor has been
operating the water supply in
Selangor, including the Federal
Territories of Kuala Lumpur andPutrajaya, through the State
Waterworks Department, which was
then the Selangor Water Supply
Department (JBAS). Since March 15,
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2002, JBAS was corporatised as a
wholly State-owned company in the
name of Selangor Water Management
Company or PUAS Bhd.
PUAS Bhd is responsible for the
supply of potable water to five million
consumers, including industries and
commercial buildings. PUAS Bhd
manages a supply of 3,500 million
litres of water per day and 1.3 million
consumer accounts, including the
billing and collection. The company
also maintains a distribution network
of about 13,500 km. PUAS Bhd is
governed by a Board of Directors
comprising State Government officials
and members of the public. In general,
the water industry in Selangor consists
of three main water concession
companies – Puncak Niaga (M) Sdn
Bhd, Syarikat Pengeluar Air Sungai
Selangor Sdn Bhd and Konsortium
the consumers. There is also a
Regulatory Office under the State
Government to oversee and regulate
the water industry in the State. Figure
1 shows the overall structure of the
water industry in the state of Selangor.
Figure 2 shows the respective
responsibilities of the water concession
companies and PUAS Bhd.
Water supply operation in Selangor
and Kuala Lumpur is divided into
seven regions, each managed by a
Senior Manager. The regional senior
managers are responsible for the
efficient and effective operation and
maintenance of the distribution
system, 100% correct billing, 100%
collection, and customer-oriented andcustomer-friendly services in their
respective regions. The PUAS Bhd
headquarters is located in Kuala
Lumpur and is responsible for the
overall coordination of the entire
PUAS operations, planning and
development, finance and corporate
affairs including all enforcement and
security measures. The total staff
strength of PUAS Bhd currently is
1,388.
Water resources for Selangor andKuala Lumpur are entirely from surface
water sources with the supply drawn
directly from an impounding reservoir
or direct abstraction from rivers
regulated by releases from storage
reservoirs. The present water resources
are adequate to meet the water demand
for Selangor and Kuala Lumpur up to
Table 1: Water Supply Dams In Selangor
Table 2: Water Supply Demand Projections For Selangor And Kuala Lumpur
No. Dam Year Constructed Storage Capacity1 Klang Gates Dam 1959 28,000 ML2 Langat Dam 1979 37,480 ML3 Semenyih Dam 1986 61,400 ML4 Batu Dam 1986 36,000 ML5 Sg. Tinggi Dam 1997 114,500 ML6 Sg. Selangor Dam Under construction 235,000 ML
ABASS Sdn Bhd – responsible for
water production while PUAS Bhd is
responsible for water distribution to
Year Demand (Mld) Supply (Mld) Remarks2002 3,326 3,628 125 Mld ~ Rasa - 12003 3,519 4,028 400 Mld ~ SS3 - 1
2004 3,723 4,028 -2005 3,940 4,428 400 Mld ~ SS3 - 22006 4,170 4,428 -2007 4,413 4,553 125 Mld ~ Rasa - 22008 4,671 4,553 Deficit of 118 Mld
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the year 2007 and the quality of water
supplied is in full compliance with
WHO International Standards for Drinking Water. There are five large
dams in the State operated for water
supply purposes with another dam
under construction. Table 1 shows the
capacities of the various dams in the
State.
Figure 3 shows the location of the
various dams in Selangor.
The demand for water in Selangor
and Kuala Lumpur grows at an
average rate of 6% per year. Table 2
shows the water supply demandprojections and the planning for water
supply until the year 2007.
There are presently six major
water treatment plants and 25 other
smaller water treatment plants in the
State with a total supply capacity of
3,628 Mld, sufficient to meet the
present demand. Table 3 shows the
production capacity of water
treatment plants in Selangor and
Kuala Lumpur.
Figure 4 and Figure 5 show the
locations of the various treatment
plants in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.
Beyond 2007, the State
Government, together with the
Federal Government, is planning to
source water from a neighbouring
state. The neighbouring state of
Pahang has been identified for this
inter-state water transfer project,
which is in an advanced stage of
planning and design. Basically, theproject entails the abstraction of
surface water regulated by storage
reservoirs and transfer of raw water
through a 5.2 m diameter 47-km long
Table 3: Water Treatment Plants In Selangor And Kuala Lumpur
tunnel. The present planned capacity
of the project is 2,260,000 m3/day.
Figure 6 shows the projected water demand and treatment works
capacity.
NON-PROBLEMATIC AREAS
Since the 1990s, the operation
and maintenance/management of
the source works including the
water treatment plants have been
privatised to three major companies,
namely Puncak Niaga (M) Sdn Bhd,
Syarikat Pengeluar Air Sungai
Selangor Sdn Bhd and Konsortium
ABASS Sdn Bhd through long-term
(25-30 years) concession
agreements. Some of these
concession agreements also involve
capital works such as the building
of a new dam, water treatment
plants and laying of new trunk main
pipelines based on the build-operate-transfer (BOT) concept of
privatisation.
1 Bukit Nanas 1966 1362 Sg. Langat 1980 477
3 Sg. Batu 1980 1144 Sg. Semenyih 1986 6365 Sg. Selangor Phase 1 1995 9506 Sg. Selangor Phase 2 2000 9507 Rasa Phase 1 2001 125
Sub-total: 3,3888 25 other smaller plants - 240
TOTAL: 3,628
No. Water Treatment Plant Year ProductionConstructed Capacity (Mld)
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Ever since the privatisation of
water production facilities, the
quality of treated water supplied to
consumers from all of the privatised
treatment plants is much better than
the WHO International Standards
for Drinking Water. In fact, it can
be said to be of world-class standard
comparable to those of developed
countries. The reason water quality
has reached world-class standard is
the stringent conditions in the
privatisation concession agreements.
Table 4 gives a comparison of the
WHO Standards and the actual quality
of water produced by the six major
privatised treatment plants in respect
of some parameters.
The standard of operation and
maintenance of these privatised
treatment plants has also vastly
improved. In this respect, it is
imperative that the private operators
keep their costs low by cutting down
on wastages, optimising labour as
well as improving efficiency of
operations so as to maintain
profitability. Hence, consumers are
now enjoying an improved level of
service in terms of both reliability andquality on the production side.
MAJOR PROBLEMS IDENTIFIED
Water is essent ial to life. The
recent water crisis in 1998 has shown
Figure 6
Table 4: Average Water Quality Produced By The Major Treatment Plants
Parameter Major Treatment Plants WHO StandardSSF 1 SSF 2 SEMENYIH LANGAT B.NANAS BATU
Turbidity 0.67 0.6 1.38 1.18 0.51 0.49
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One reason for this situation is
that the huge cost of financing
source works such as the building of
the new treatment plants, the Sg.
Selangor dam and trunk main pipes
has been built into the purchase cost
of the treated water. The other
reason is that the water tariff charged
to the consumers is still very low and
does not reflect the true cost of
producing and supplying water. Figure
9 shows Malaysia’s water rates
compared with other countries. The
third and a very serious reason is the
high non-revenue water losses. This
is made worse by the distribution
system being old and badly in need of
renewal and repair and not having the
necessary funds to carry out such
works. For instance, the replacement
of the old asbestos cement pipes alone
requires funds in excess of RM1 billion.
A further large amount of capital is
required to carry out active leak
detection works and other programmes
in order to reduce the current high
non-revenue water losses.
STRATEGIES TO OVERCOMEPROBLEMS IN PHASES
The problems faced by PUAS Bhd
as outlined above cannot be resolved
overnight. It will need both time and
the necessary funds to solve these
problems. Hence, the proposal is to
solve the problems in phases and
complete the last phase within a
stipulated timeframe of five to 10
years.
Water Quality Problems
The distribution system is the
biggest asset of the Company and
hence, it must be attended to carefully
and methodically. The problem of
‘dirty’ water can be addressed in the
following manner:
Introduce adequate scours in both
the trunk main pipes and
distribution pipes
Systematic cleaning and flushing
of all the service reservoirs and
pipelines on a scheduled basis
All ‘dead end’ pipes must be looped
Reversal of flows in the pipelines
must be minimised if it cannot be
totally avoided
Studies should be carried out to
ascertain where ‘dirty water’ is
encountered in order of severity
There must be adequate and proper water sampling stations in the
distribution system and sampling
should be well timed to ensure
representative results
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Distribution Problems
As menti oned ear lier , the
distribution system comprises a large
and complex pipe network some
13,500 km in total length. In order to address distribution problems
effectively, the first thing to do is to
establish a comprehensive and
computerised mapping of the entire
system. The system must also be
complete with:
Hydraulic network modelling
Pressure management and
pressure monitoring systems
Flows and reservoir levels
measurement and monitoring
systems
Telemetry/SCADA/GIS systems
Hence, the performance of the
distribution system must be
constantly monitored through a
central control system. The impact of
every new tee connection to a new
development must be hydraulically
checked to ensure that the existing
consumers are not affected.
Non-Revenue Water Losses
This is a very serious problem and
no effort should be spared in reducing
the NRW.
(i) Immediate action to reduce
NRW:
100% billing through newbilling system called ‘S2B’ and
ensuring correct billing
through close monitoring of
individual consumption
patterns
Consumer supply meter change
‘crash’ programme
An integrated operation to stop
pilferage of water, including
disconnecting all squatters’
supply and giving them proper metered supplies
Water for fire-fighting or any
other use from fire hydrants to
be charged
(ii) Medium/long-term measures
to reduce NRW:
Active leakage control
Pressure management
Renewal/replacement of pipes
based on a comprehensive
‘Asset Management Plan’
Consumer meter exchange
p r o g r a m m e / m e t e r
management and maintenance
New metering policies and
technologies
Scheduled inspection and
maintenance/repair of all
service reservoirs to prevent
overflows and leakage
including all air valves, scour valves and in-line valves
For new development,
pressure and leakage tests of
pipelines to be carried out
after tapping for service
connections
Use of proven quality
materials and standards in the
distribution system
Water loss due to third party
damage to pipelines or newconnections including pipe
diversions and realignment to
be charged
Continuous and strict
enforcement against pilferage
of water
Target NRW reduction of 2%
per year to 15% by the year
2015, as well as monitoring of
unit cost of overall NRW
reduction programme
Customer Service
One of the important
characteristics of a successful
organisation is the ability to put
customer satisfaction as utmost
priority. Described as a customer-
driven organisation, PUAS Bhd will
emphasise proactive listening to
customers’ needs.
Establish customer service levels
Establish Customer Service
Department to focus on customer
services and customer relations
Fully computerised complaints
management centre to ensure
each and every complaint is
attended to within a specified
response time, and complaint
management as key driver in
improving eff ic iency and
service levels
Addres s manpower problems
effectively to ensure customer
satisfaction
Promote bet ter customer
awareness and customer
education
Financial Problems
The current huge financialdeficit is in essence the basic
problem which must be resolved
before trying to solve the other
problems. Solutions are:
Federal Government assistance
Raise water tariff
Other sources of revenue/
charges/taxes
CONCLUSION
Taking into consideration all the
problems highlighted above and the
current huge financial deficit faced
by PUAS Bhd, something has to be
done very quickly. The consumers
are in fact getting to be very
impat ient , judging from the
number and types of complaints
received. Hence, every effort has
got to be made to change the
current situation and to win back
customer confidence. In line with
PUAS Bhd’s Mission Statement of
using information technology to
gain competitive edge and to be
more cost-effective, the Company
is now moving towards a Total
Operation Management System
(TOMS) which is an integrated suite
of applications that automate the
provisioning and sustaining of the
service delivery network of a water company. PUAS Bhd is committed
to stay focused in its efforts to
achieve world-class water utility
company standard. BEM
B U L E T I N I N G E N I E U R 20
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The problems are well-known.
Malaysia is rich in water
resources, but the demand
for clean water is increasing
rapidly and shortage occurs during
dry periods. During the monsoon,floods disrupt the lives of many
people and cause substantial
damages, destruction of property and
loss of lives. Water quality is also a
problem. Though many rivers are still
in good condition, some are severely
polluted with silt, sewage and solid
waste.
The causes of the problems are
complex and cannot be solved
overnight, while the traditional way
of addressing the problems in afragmented manner has proven to be
insufficient. In addition, roles,
responsibilities and authority are not
clearly defined. Thus, DID is often
blamed when a flood occurs, whilst
the real causes may be flash floods
due to urban development,
sedimentation due to earth works or
deforestation, or solid waste that clogs
the drains – areas which are under
the mandate of other agencies.
Similarly, water pollution problems
can only be effectively addressed
through a concerted effort involving
many agencies and huge investments
in wastewater treatment.
So while the present sectoral
approach has its advantages, it has
become evident that there is a need
for a broader, holistic view. Water-
related problems can only be
effectively dealt with through a
collaborative effort by the many stakeholders and with inputs from the
many technical disciplines. It is no
longer enough to look just at the river;
we must now consider the whole
basin. That is what Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) is all
about.
IRBM is not a technical solution.
Rather, it is an approach to water
resources management that takes into
account all factors linked to land and
water resources, including social and
economic activities. Its broad scope
not only covers water resources, but
also environmental management
aspects such as pollution control,
development planning and
biodiversity conservation.
Current Policies
The need for a holistic and
integrated approach is now widely
recognised and is strongly reflected
in Government policies. This is
incorporated into both the Eighth
Malaysia Plan (8MP), (2001-2005) and
the Third Outline Perspective Plan(OPP3), (2001-2010) which encourage
State Governments to establish water
management bodies to ensure proper
planning, monitoring, enforcement
and management of water resources
on a river basin basis.
This policy is not unique. The
Wor ld Summi t fo r Sus tainabl e
Development (WSSD), held in
Johannesburg, South Africa in 2002,called for every nation to institute
holistic management of water
resources and set targets to develop
national integrated water resources
management by 2005. The Third
World Water Forum (3WWF) held in
Kyoto, Japan the following year, also
stressed on the need for an integrated
approach, as have many other
meetings. Hence, this trend towards
integration is global.
How?
Like ‘holistic’ and ‘sustainable’,
‘integration’ has become the current
fad. But what exactly does it mean?
And above all, how do we implement
it?
River basins are important
ecological units and the river itself
reflects all the environmental changes
that occur in the basin – be it changes
in land use or discharges of waste.
However, natural basin borders rarely
coincide with political and
administrative borders, making it
difficult to attend to the ecological
linkages across basins. In addition,
many departments and agencies are
involved, each planning and
managing its particular sector of
water use.
Thus, it is necessary to establish a
mechanism that can mergecoordination and seek cooperation
not only across sectors, but also across
political and administrative borders.
The challenge is how to do it.
Water Resources Management InMalaysia – The Way Forward
By Datuk Ir. Hj. Keizrul Abdullah, Director-General, Department of Irrigation and Drainage; and Bo Christensen,
Chief Technical Advisor, IRBM Project
Integrated River Basin Management
B U L E T I N I N G E N I E U R 21
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One of the quickest ways to
implement IRBM is through the use
of River Basin Master Plans. Such
master plans take into consideration
the needs of the various water sectors
by incorporating and integrating the
various sectoral master plans into an
overall basin plan through a process
of trade-offs aimed at a win-win
approach.
What Are Other Countries Doing?
Since water is an important issue
in many countries, often there are
long traditions for bodies which can
resolve conflicts between various
users. Some of these organisations are
specialised courts that follow legal
procedures. Others are water or river
authorities. In some countries, formal
or informal user groups play important roles in water management.
The Tribunal de las Aguas (Water
Court) of Valencia, Spain, which has
been in existence at least since the
10th century, is one of the earliest
examples.
The responsibilities and mode of
operation of the institutions vary from
country to country. The preferred
institutional set-up needs to reflect
the traditions and history of the
country as well as the nature of theissues to be dealt with. However, most
traditional systems have limited
mandates and they are therefore
rarely able to effectively deal with the
more complex environmental issues
of water resource management.
Many countries have therefore
established new River Basin
Management Institutions or River
Basin Organisations (RBOs), or are in
the process of doing so. RBOs can take
many forms, and some are justmodifications or additions to existing
systems. More radical reforms have
typically only been instituted after a
severe crisis in the water sector.
Although each country is unique,
the challenges they face in river
basin management generally have
some similarities, and it is
worthwhile to examine the
experiences of other countries to see
if their experiences can be appliedin Malaysia in some form.
In Australia, the Murray-Darling
catchment is beset by
unsustainable land use and
excessive water extraction in a
very dry agricultural zone, such
that in some years, no water
reaches the sea. The collaboration
among several neighbouring
states seeks to address negative
impacts by utilising economicinstruments, such as marketable
water rights and other
management tools.
In Indonesia, the Brantas River
basin, with an area of 12,000 km2
and a population of 15 million,
is managed on an IRBM basis by
a state-owned company, PTG-1.
PTG-1 has the responsibility to
manage the water resources and
water infrastructure, includingwater supply, irrigation and flood
mitigation. It is not directly
responsible for water pollution
control or land use, but advises
and supports other agencies.
In Europe , the European Union
Water Framework Directive is a
very ambitious legal initiative in
water resources management. It
gives clear direction for member
states and requires each tointroduce integrated river basin
management plans, to implement
legal and institutional
arrangements and sets a binding
timetable to achieve “good status”
for all water bodies. The actual
implementation of the directive
varies in format with each
participating country, but the
target is clear.
In Denmark, regional councils areresponsible for regional physical
management, natural resources
management, river management,
environmental monitoring and
environmental regulation of
sewage treatment plants and
major industries. The regional
physical plans are updated once
every fourth years. This planning
mechanism, and the fact that all
major environmentalmanagement and most natural
resources management is the
responsibility of a single
organisation, greatly facilitate an
integrated approach. The
multitude of specialised agencies
that are found in Malaysia is
practically absent. Environmental
services are generally provided by
the municipalities. The Ministry
of Environment gives guidance
and regulations, and, in case of appeals, may overrule some
decisions made by the regional
councils or the municipalities.
In France, the country has been
divided into six “river basins”
where the water resources are
managed in an integrated
manner. For each basin, there is
a committee which has the role
to establish partnerships and
coordinate the actions of publicauthorities and developers. The
daily work is carried out by six
water agencies. The river basin
committees also mobilise the
financial resources for water
investments. Master plans and
schemes for water development
and management play an
important role in water
management. In addition, there is
a number of local water
communities which can play anactive role in achieving the
objectives.
In the United States, the Clean
Water Act requires the states to
prepare and maintain a
continuing planning process that
includes Water Quality
Management plans. These plans
should have a watershed focus,
but are more limited in scope than
the EU plans.
These models may help to provide
guidance, but ultimately, the
solutions must be found locally.
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IRBM Planning
Planning is a key element of
IRBM. It helps define environmental
issues and considers the interests of
various stakeholders. Planning sets
the stage for integration and is aprerequisite for consistent
implementation of policies, including
the allocation of water resources,
pollution abatement, zoning, granting
of permissions and licences, and
others. Each element of the plan
requires a strategy by the authorities.
Henceforth, decisions can be made in
a systematic and transparent manner
that is able to withstand public
scrutiny.
The aim of the IRBM plan is thus
to provide overall guidance. Its intent
is not to dwell on management
details, but to establish priorities and
balance the various sector interests
in a way that facilitates clear and
specific actions to address the main
issues. It is crucial that an IRBM plan
adequately covers and integrates the
full array of water concerns, such as
resources use and flood mitigation,
wastewater treatment, and catchment
protection and zoning. Planning
requires a long-term vision to seek appropriate environmental
investments that fulfill the entire
objectives of IRBM. The IRBM plan
should identify measures to achieve
the planning objectives and specify
concrete short-term and long-term
actions.
Legal And Institutional Framework
Malaysia already has several
examples of integrated watershed,
catchment or river basin planning.
Most initiatives have been in the form
of IRBM plans, each with its own
strengths and weaknesses. Most plans
have been prepared by a single
agency and this gives a bias that is
reflected in the plans.
The challenge is how to improve
the implementation of IRBM. Do we
create new institutions? Do we add
responsibilities to existing agencies?
Can we merely amend legal and
administrative frameworks to handlethe job or are major changes required?
The Sabah Water Resources
Enactment of 1998 was an early and
important step towards integrated
management, as it created the first
legal framework for IRBM in
Malaysia. In Peninsular Malaysia,
Selangor pioneered the new paradigm
with the creation of LUAS in 1999.
The environmental conditions and
economic situation of each state mustbe considered before designing a
model that fits into the local legal and
institutional system. Nevertheless,
there are many similarities between
the states and it should be possible to
give general recommendations and
create a model legislation that the
states can adapt and adopt.
Institutional Challenges
It is easy to identify the
challenges, namely to:
Achieve effective and efficient
integration
Maintain expertise, skills and
focus of specialised agencies Avoid creation of bureaucratic
complications Develop frameworks with clear
mandates
Streamline legislation,
administration and procedures
Ensure stakeholder participation
But how are these challenges best
met?
The IRBM Project
To examine these issues, the
Government of Malaysia has initiated
the IRBM Project in cooperation with
the Government of Denmark. The
project is working with two models
viz. in the Selangor River Basin and
the Kedah River Basin, which at first
glance appear to be quite different.
Selangor has established a new
institution, LUAS, with its own
enactment for water resources
management, while Kedah, at least
initially, is using a more informal
approach with an inter-agency
committee chaired by the State
Economic Planning Unit (UPEN).
A closer look reveals that there is,
in fact, a range of common features.
Both models recognise thatcooperation with a range of
specialised agencies and other
stakeholders is critical, no matter how
wide the mandate of the water agency.
Both models therefore depend on
inter-agency or stakeholder
committees and sub-committees or
working groups to deal with special
issues.
A very common way to deal with
issues that involve different
stakeholders, in Malaysia as well as
in other countries, is to establish a
committee. This can be done easily,
requires no legal changes and can be
an effective coordination mechanism
that brings the key stakeholders
together.
There are many types of
committees. Some have strong
political support and are very active,
and they can be very effective – both
as temporary committees established
to solve a particular problem, and as
standing committees that have a more
permanent nature. Other committees
are established to put an inconvenientissue on hold until the political or
public interest has diminished, and
this kind is naturally not very active.
There is also a more common type,
which initially is active, but as other
issues prop up and take priority on
the busy agenda of the main
stakeholders, the activity declines and
the committee may even become
dormant. This is a natural process in
the life of committees. They all pass
through various phases. For a
committee to remain active, it needs
a dedicated chairman, the active
support of the members and the
backing of a dynamic secretariat.
The IRBM approach is a challenge
for water administration in Malaysia.
The IRBM project acknowledges that
strong relationships between Federal
and State agencies are fundamental
for achieving positive results. This
project is still in its early stage, and it
will continue to explore the right
opportunities and models for integrated resource management to
overcome past problems and move
forward towards revitalising the
nation’s rivers.
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Work Programme - A Contractual Perspective
B U L E T I N I N G E N I E U R 29
By Ir. Harbans Singh K.S., B.E (Mech) S’pore, P.E., C.Eng,LLB(Hons) London, CLP, DipICArb.
Work Programme - A Contractual Perspective
ALTERATION/REVISION TO PROGRAMME
Bearing in mind the desire to maintain flexibility,
the contractor should be afforded the possibility of
amending or revising the programme as and when he
so desires. However, because of the effect of the
contractor’s approved programme on the contract
administrator’s obligations i.e. to furnish information,
drawings, details, give necessary approvals, etc. such
flexibility is constrained by the necessity to seek the
necessary approval/consent of the contract
administrator before undertaking any revisions or
alterations to the approved programme. Hence, express
contractual provisions are usually enshrined in the
conditions of contract to the following effect:
No material alteration to the approved work
programme is generally permitted without theapproval of the contract administrator e.g. Clause
7.4 36 IEM.ME 1/94 Form;
The contractor may modify or revise the works
programme with the approval of the contract
administrator to take into account any changed
circumstances or events affecting the progress and/
or the execution of the works e.g. Clause 5.6 37 CIDB
Form (2000 Edn.)
If the progress of the works does not conform tothe approved programme, the contract administrator
may instruct the contractor to revise the programme.
The contractor shall thereafter revise the programme
to show the modifications necessary to ensure
completion of the works within the time stipulated
for completion e.g. Clause 7.5 38 IEM.ME 1/94 Form.
It should be appreciated that although such express
clauses are specially drafted to give wide powers to
the contract administrator vis-à-vis the exercise of
his powers of approval to the revisions/alterations,
these powers are restricted by the overall exercise of
reasonableness; a fact that must be borne in mind by
contract administrators when reviewing the
contractor’s requests for relevant modifications.
36. Entitled ‘Alteration to Programme’37. Called ‘Modification or Revision To Work’s Programme
and/or Method Statement’38. Entitled “Revision of Programme’.39. E.g. JKR 203, 203A (rev. 10/83), PAM ’98 Forms, etc.40. See Roger Knowles ‘100 Hundred Contractual Problems and
Their Solutions’ at P 71
By Ir. Harbans Singh K.S., B.E (Mech) S’pore, P.E., C.Eng,LLB(Hons) London, CLP, DipICArb.
Some forms of conditions of contract 39 on the other
hand, either have no such express provisions, or are
generally silent on the question of revision or
amendment of the work programme and/or the
necessity of seeking the contract administrator’s
approval for such modifications.
The consequences of such an eventuality is neatly
summed up by Roger Knowles in the following words:
‘In the absence of an express requirement to seek
approval to amend, the contractor can revise his
programme as he wishes. An architect or engineer
who has not been asked to approve or accept an
amended programme may feel under no obligation
to issue drawings in good time to enable the
contractor to comply with the revised programme’ 40
Hence, in view of the impact of the contractor’s
revisions on the contract administrator’s obligations
vis-à-vis the supply of information, drawings, etc. to
enable the contractor to proceed with his works as
planned, it is rare for the contractor not to seek the
latter’s approval to the revisions. Therefore, it is a
rule rather than an exception for the procedure
governing the approval process to be adopted in
practice for not only the initial submission but also
for any subsequent revisions notwithstanding the
absence of express stipulations thereto.
MISCELLANEOUS ISSUES
I. ‘Optimistic’/Shortened Programme
It is an express requirement in most contracts for the
contractor to programme his works such that he can
complete the works ‘on or before’ the date for
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completion stated in the contract 41. Some contractors
however, prepare and submit an ‘optimistic’ or
‘shortened’ programme i.e. targeting an earlier
completion date. Various reasons have been proffered
for this practice ranging from a genuine desire to
achieve earlier discharge of the contractual obligations
at one end of the spectrum to a sinister goal of
improving the contractor’s chances of claims for
monetary compensation, etc. due to an increased
possibility of ‘acts of prevention’ on the employer’s
part vis-à-vis the ‘shortened’ programme.
An ‘optimistic’ or ‘shortened’ programme should
be viewed with caution by the employer/ contract
administrator due to a host of reasons; the principal
of which include:
It accelerates the demands on the employer /contract administrator in undertaking their various
obligations and duties 42 e.g. furnishing information
/ drawings, granting necessary approvals, etc. to
meet the ‘shortened’ or ‘earlier’ targets set by the
contractor;
It imposes unreasonable demands on the employer’s
cash flow and financial allocation to meet the
accelerated payment to the contractor;
It increases the likelihood of the employer defaulting in his obligations to the contractor i.e.
giving rise to acts of prevention that will delay the
contractor and entitle him to various contractual
claims; and
It generally transfers the risk of default in time
obligations onto the employer.
Robinson and Lavers sum up this matter in the
following manner:43
‘…. a programme to complete prior to the required
date for completion is probably within the contractor’s
rights and has the effect of requiring the architect to
produce his drawings for the earlier critical dates at
least as far as that may be reasonably capable of
achievement. The consultants should not query a
contractor’s programme unless it is clearly unrealistic
or places unreasonable demands on the employer’s
cash flow or the design work schedule’
Be that as it may, the legal position vis-à-vis an
‘optimistic’ or ‘shortened’ programme is reflected inthe judgment of the case of Glenlion Construction
Ltd. v The Guinness Trust 44 where it was held
that:
There was no implied obligation on the employer to
supply information, through his architect 45, so as to
enable the contractor to finish early; and
It was neither reasonable nor equitable that the
contractor should be able to place, after the
contract had been made, a unilateral obligation
on the employer 46
II. ‘Float’ In Work Programme
In preparing a programme, contractors generally
have to make a considered decision as to, amongst
others, the specific duration that has to be allocated to
a particular work activity. Where the contractor
anticipates uncertainties, he must allocate a buffer
period i.e. he must schedule that activity to take longer
than estimated to cushion him against any unforeseencircumstances. Such a contingency period, often
dubbed as ‘float’ 47 caters for uncertain risks covering
matters of the likes of:
Adverse ground conditions;
Inclement weather;
Unavailability of labour, materials, etc.;
Strikes, lockouts, etc.;
Rectification of self-induced mistakes; and
Unforeseen conditions/circumstances, etc.
I