KUCHING: Delegates at the Water and Wastewater Exhibition (BWWE) and Conference 2015 are urged to brainstorm for solutions to help the state increase its treated water coverage.

Second Minister of Resource Planning and Environment cum Minister of Public Utilities Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan said the state was facing challenges in providing treated water to the people due to its geographical conditions.

“It is the desire of the state government to increase treated water coverage but due to geographical factors, it is very difficult to extend treated water supply to remote and scattered areas that are impossible to be connected to the nearest municipal water supply systems.

“In order to mitigate, the government has embarked on several alternative water supply systems, like modular package plants, rain harvesting system, gravity feed systems and underground water for these areas.

“I would like the participants in this conference to further explore appropriate technologies and cost effective solutions to enable water supply to be extended to these areas,” he said at the opening of BWWE and Conference 2015 at Borneo Convention Center Kuching yesterday.

He added that in order to protect and manage the state’s water resources, over four million hectares of catchment had been gazetted over the years, with several more catchments in the pipeline for possible gazetting.

Through the efforts of the government, the coverage of treated water supply had increase to 80 per cent from 68 per cent at the beginning of the 10th Malaysia Plan.

Besides the existing water supply authorities, a new entity—Sarawak Rural Water Supply Department—had been formed to take over the role and functions of the Water Branch in the Public Works Department. It is tasked to plan, implement and manage the water supply in the remaining rural areas in the state, effective Sept 1 this year.

As water is a vital resource, there is an important and urgent need for effective and efficient management of water, and that today’s natural environment is faced with a variety of pressures and threats impacting water resources and drinking water.

Thus, there is an urgent need for policy and decision makers, environmentalists, scientists, engineers and technocrats, and the business community to come together to revisit and tackle the issues to ensure long term sustainability for the sake of our future.

“Water is required to sustain life and critical towards the progress and well-being of the human race and environment. I am sure you would also agree that BWWE 2015 will provide a good opportunity and platform for the discussion, consideration and sharing of experience on how to address the problems, issues, concerns and challenges besetting the Water and Wastewater Sector in today’s world.”

In cognizance with the proclamation of the International Decate for Action ‘Water for Life’ 2005-2015 by the United Nations general Assembly in December 2003, he was confident the participants who are experts in various relevant fields in the conference would deliberate to address many of the pressing issues, concerns and challenges in the Water and Wastewater Sector faced by the world as well as Malaysia.

The event, themed ‘Our Water Resources: Manage, Safeguard, Conserve’, runs until tomorrow.

Also present were Malaysia Water Association vice president Mohmad Asari Daud and Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water’s director-general Noor Azahari Zainal Abidin.