Securing Klang valley's water future: A call for collective action

We are often reminded about the importance of saving for the future and practising frugality as preparations for emergencies.

Tips on managing expenditures play a crucial role, as financial management has become so important in today's life.

But what about one of the most basic needs, which is access to clean water? How many of us truly prioritise water conservation for the sake of future needs?

This is particularly true for users in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, and Putrajaya, where there is high dependence on treated water to carry out daily routines.

Furthermore, the rapid development currently taking place also has a direct impact on the rate of water consumption, which is shared among communities.

For public knowledge, the average domestic water consumption in 2023 for Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, and Putrajaya was 241 litres per capita per day (LCD), as reported in the Domestic Water Consumption Report by the National Water Services Commission (SPAN).

This consumption is notably higher compared to other Asian countries such as Singapore (151 LCD), Thailand (193 LCD), and China (179 LCD).

Taking this into account, Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Air Selangor), the largest water service provider in Malaysia, which serves over 9.62 million users in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, and Putrajaya, is intensifying its efforts to promote water conservation within its operations and infrastructure.

One of the initiatives includes encouraging the installation of water-saving devices that can help users reduce their water consumption by up to 20 per cent when installed on all water equipment.

These devices are distributed for free by Air Selangor, which also conducts brief demonstrations and briefings on their use through various community engagement activities with all segments of society.

Additionally, Air Selangor is replacing water taps in mosques with water-efficient taps as part of its efforts to reduce water wastage.

This programme aims to ensure that water conservation is practised through a more holistic approach.

200 Million litres of water lost each year

Water-saving initiatives will be ineffective without improvements in infrastructure, which is a key component in delivering water resources to users.

According to Air Selangor data, approximately 200 million litres of physical water are lost each year due to the deteriorating condition of assets.

For comparison, this amount of loss could supply 80,000 homes with 2,500-litre tanks, resulting in a significant loss of a resource that should be enjoyed by the public.

Therefore, increasing efforts to replace pipes and detect leaks is crucial to reducing the Non-Revenue Water (NRW) rate.

Under the NRW programme, three main components are being implemented: a pipe replacement programme, strategies for reducing physical losses, and commercial loss reduction.

In this regard, Air Selangor will enhance its efforts by doubling its pipe replacement efforts from 150 kilometres (km) per year to 300 km per year starting in 2024, and to 400 km per year starting in 2034 and beyond.

This aligns with Air Selangor's target to reduce the NRW rate to 27.5 per cent by 2025 and to 25 per cent by 2030.

However, any efforts made by Air Selangor will certainly be meaningless without the support and awareness of the users.

Therefore, water conservation, an essential resource for life, is the responsibility of all levels of society to ensure that future generations can enjoy a sustainable water supply.

Grab the opportunity to win a fund of RM15,000

To raise awareness about water conservation, particularly among children, Air Selangor is collaborating with the local animation brand 'BoBoiBoy' through Animonsta Studios (MONSTA) to launch a competition titled ‘Water Conservation Mission Contest with BoBoiBoy’.

This competition is open to all primary schools in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, and Putrajaya, with participation from students aged 7 to 12.

The initiative aims to educate about water conservation practices through animation and continuous children's storytelling.

Participants are required to creatively share their opinions about climate change via video.

Winners will have the opportunity to appear in a short video featuring Air Selangor x BoBoiBoy and receive a fund of up to RM15,000 to beautify their school grounds as per the listed requests.