5 Johor water treatment plants, including PUB's waterworks, restart operations after ammonia level goes down

JOHOR BARU - Five water treatment plants in Johor that were shut down last week due to high levels of ammonia pollution along Sungai Sayong and Sungai Johor were all up and running again on Saturday (April 6), The Star newspaper said.

The five plants are Sayong 1 and Sayong 2, Semanggar, Sungai Johor and Singapore PUB's Johor River Waterworks (JRWW).

PUB, Singapore's national water agency, said in a statement on Saturday: "The ammonia level in JRWW's intake point has reduced. PUB has conducted stringent water quality tests and assessed that the raw water at JRWW's intake point is suitable for abstraction and treatment.

"Throughout the period when JRWW stopped production, the water supply in Singapore was unaffected. PUB was able to step up water production at the local waterworks, NEWater plants and desalination plants to meet local demand."

PUB also urged the public to use water wisely.

The Star quoted Johor International Trade, Investment and Utility Committee chairman Jimmy Puah Wee Tse as saying though the plants were fully operational, the water supply to the affected areas would take some time to be at full capacity.

Mr Puah said as of 4pm on Saturday, about 24,713 accounts of Ranhill SAJ, the Johor water supply company - or almost 123,565 users - were still affected from the pollution.

He said most areas have started to get their water supply, except for those in Kempas, Taman Bukit Indah and Taman Desa Cemerlang residential estates.

"The state government, through Johor Water Regulatory Body (Bakaj) and Ranhill SAJ, is working to restore water as normal to consumers," he added.

Mr Puah urged those who were still affected by the incident to be patient, with the supply expected to be fully restored by Saturday evening.

On Wednesday, high levels of ammonia pollution were detected in Sungai Sayong after a reservoir at a biocomposite centre next to a palm oil refinery burst.

Sungai Sayong is one of the creeks that supplies raw water to Sungai Johor.

The Sayong 1 and Sayong 2 water treatment plants had to be shut down, as it could not process raw water to be treated due to high levels of ammonia.

The closure of the five water treatment plants have caused a disruption on water supply to three districts - Johor Baru, Kulai and parts of Kota Tinggi.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.