SIBU: The construction of the Tanjung Manis Water Supply Phase 1 is expected to be completed on schedule in November 2015.

Awang Tengah (second left) and others looking at a plan at the site of Tanjung Manis Water Supply Phase 1 at Sg Maaw.

Second Minister of Resource Planning and Environment Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan said construction which commenced November last year, was slightly behind schedule, by about one per cent.

“However, with the increase in resources and hence productivity of the contractors undertaking the project, it is expected to be completed on schedule in November next year,” he told a press conference yesterday.

Awang Tengah was on his official visit to the Tanjung Manis Water Supply Phase 1 at Sg Maaw yesterday.

He said in line with the development of Tanjung Manis area, an ample water supply needs to be provided for the activities associated with the Halal Hub there.

“The overall planning is to supply 250MLD (million litres/day) of raw water together with a 60MLD water treatment plant, but under Phase 1 of the project, only 125MLD of raw water is to be supplied, with a 30MLD water treatment plant,” he pointed out.

The overall project cost (phase one alone) is about RM965 million.

He said in view of the salinity of the water at Tanjung Manis, the raw water is sourced from Sibu at the Sg Maaw intake site, using the underground Riverbank Filtration System (RBF).

RBF is a method of harvesting subsurface flow within the river bed as well as underground water discharge to the river.

The raw water is naturally filtered by subsurface sand layer and collected by a radial collector well sunk to the designed depth at riverbank and subsequently pumped to the water treatment plant.

“The benefits of RBF system include improve raw water quality, reduce water treatment cost, lower maintenance cost, no sedimentation problem and can be operated during low river flows,” he enthused.

He said the RBF is widely adopted overseas, such as in Germany and Korea.

In Malaysia, RBF intakes have been successfully constructed in Kelantan and Perak.

“Upon the completion of this project, it will become the one single biggest RBF project in Malaysia,” he said.

Meanwhile, the raw water collected is carried to Tg Manis via 1,600mm and 1,100mm mild steel polyurethane lined pipes, covering a distance of some 77km, with some 2.4km submarine mains crossing over seven rivers along the way.

Other components of the Phase 1 project include two booster pumping stations, one water treatment plant, one raw water reservoir and treated water distribution mains at Tanjung Manis.

Meanwhile, he said he had asked the contractor to study whether they could supply water to Pulau Bruit, Paloh and surrounding villages once completed.

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2014/08/09/tm-phase-1-water-on-track-for-halal-hub/#ixzz3B4muR8Mm