Siaran Media

TAWAU: Masalah bekalan air yang dihadapi penduduk di daerah ini dijangka dapat diselesaikan setelah projek Skim Bekalan Air Tawau Fasa III bernilai RM450.5 juta siap sebelum akhir tahun depan.

Ketua Menteri, Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor, berkata projek yang membabitkan pembinaan empangan untuk membekal air mentah ke Loji Rawatan Air (LRA) Cinta Mata 1 dan 2 itu kini berjalan mengikut jadual.

Katanya, ia satu perkembangan yang baik dalam usaha kerajaan pimpinannya untuk mengatasi masalah bekalan air yang diwarisi daripada kerajaan terdahulu.

"Kita nampak perkembangan projek ini begitu baik dan berjalan mengikut jadual. Walaupun ada permohonan daripada kontraktor untuk melanjutkan kerja, tapi yang penting ia dijadual siap sebelum akhir 2027.

"Kita warisi masalah ini, bukan masalah ini datang waktu kerajaan hari ini. Tapi sebagai kerajaan yang bertanggungjawab kita lakukan yang terbaik, kita bagi peruntukan untuk selesaikan dan bagi kemudahan kepada rakyat," katanya kepada media selepas mengadakan lawatan kerja ke projek pembinaan Empangan Air Tawau dan LRA Cinta Mata, di sini, pada Ahad.

Hajiji berkata, kerajaan sedia meneliti jika ada keperluan untuk menambah peruntukan bagi melaksanakan projek berkenaan, bergantung kepada laporan Jabatan Air Negeri Sabah (JANS) dan Jabatan Pengairan dan Saliran (JPS).

Setakat ini, katanya kerajaan berpuas hati terhadap prestasi projek itu selepas diberi taklimat mengenai pencapaian projek dan kontraktor yang diberi tanggungjawab melaksanakannya.

Terdahulu, Hajiji diberi taklimat mengenai Skim Bekalan Air Tawau Fasa 3 dan Pembangunan Infrastruktur Bekalan Air Utama Daerah Tawau oleh Ketua Penolong Pengarah Cawangan Pemantauan dan Pengurus Projek Ibu Pejabat JANS, Encik Rodney Tinggas.

Selain itu, beliau turut diberi taklimat mengenai Kawasan Banjir Perbandaran Tawau dan Rancangan Projek Pencegahan Banjir Tawau oleh Jurutera Daerah JPS Tawau, Encik Syahzarul Rizal Joddari.

Berdasarkan taklimat JANS, Skim Bekalan Air Tawau Fasa III bernilai RM450.5 juta yang melibatkan pembinaan Empangan Air Tawau sudah mencapai kemajuan fizikal sebanyak 74.04 peratus setakat 25 Julai lalu, berbanding jadual asal 73.89 peratus.

Projek berkenaan merangkumi pembinaan empangan dengan kapasiti takungan air mentah sebanyak 30 juta meter padu (MCM) serta pemasangan paip air mentah bersaiz 700 milimeter (mm) sepanjang 11.6 kilometer. Apabila siap kelak, empangan itu akan membekalkan air mentah kepada LRA Cinta Mata 1, LRA Cinta Mata 2 dan LRA Utara dengan kapasiti pengeluaran air terawat keseluruhan sebanyak 161 juta liter sehari.

Taklimat itu turut memaklumkan projek berkenaan bertujuan menjamin bekalan air mentah ke LRA Cinta Mata 1 dan 2 serta LRA Utara, mengurangkan risiko kekurangan sumber air mentah semasa musim kemarau dan menyediakan sumber air mentah yang mampan.

Antara manfaat projek yang dinyatakan ialah memastikan bekalan air mentah yang mencukupi untuk loji rawatan sedia ada, meningkatkan kualiti air mentah melalui takungan empangan yang terkawal serta mengurangkan risiko banjir di kawasan hiliran Tawau.

Projek yang dilaksanakan oleh Citic Wijaya Construction itu dijadualkan siap pada 21 Oktober 2027.

Dalam lawatan sama, Hajiji turut diberi taklimat mengenai kemajuan pembinaan LRA Cinta Mata 2 yang kini mencapai kemajuan fizikal 16.08 peratus setakat 25 Julai lalu.

Projek bernilai RM299.9 juta itu melibatkan pembinaan loji rawatan air berkapasiti 30 juta liter sehari (JLH), pembinaan tangki simpanan air berkapasiti 20 JLH dan 10 JLH serta pemasangan paip air terawat sepanjang 12 kilometer bersaiz antara 150 milimeter hingga 800 milimeter.

Menurut JANS, projek berkenaan bertujuan meningkatkan kapasiti pengeluaran air terawat, menjamin bekalan air bersih yang stabil serta menyediakan bekalan air bersih berterusan kepada pengguna.

LRA Cinta Mata 2 dijadualkan siap pada 22 Julai 2028 dan akan memberi manfaat kepada kira-kira 42,000 pengguna di Tawau dan kawasan sekitarnya. Daerah Tawau kini mempunyai 53,133 akaun pengguna air berdaftar dengan rangkaian paip sepanjang 982.99 kilometer, namun jumlah pengeluaran air semasa hanya 130 JLH, berbanding permintaan sebanyak 142 JLH.

JANS turut menyenaraikan beberapa isu semasa yang dihadapi sistem bekalan air Tawau termasuk kadar Air Tidak Berhasil (NRW) sebanyak 68 peratus, paip uzur, kecurian air, kekurangan tangki simpanan air, peralatan mekanikal dan elektrikal yang uzur, isu kualiti dan kuantiti air mentah, kekangan logistik serta catuan bekalan air.

Tamat

 

TAWAU: The water supply issues affecting residents in this district are expected to be resolved once the RM450.5 million Phase III Tawau Water Supply Scheme project is completed before the end of next year.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor said the project, which involves the construction of a dam to supply raw water to the Cinta Mata 1 and Cinta Mata 2 Water Treatment Plants (WTPs), is progressing according to schedule.

He described this as a positive development in his administration's efforts to address the long-standing water supply problems inherited from previous governments.

"We can see that the project is progressing well and is on schedule. Although the contractor has applied for an extension, the important thing is that it is still scheduled for completion before the end of 2027.

"We inherited these problems; they did not arise during the tenure of the current government. However, as a responsible government, we are doing our best by allocating the necessary funds to resolve the issues and provide better facilities for the people," he told reporters after a working visit to the Tawau Water Dam and Cinta Mata Water Treatment Plant construction projects here on Sunday.

Hajiji said the State Government is prepared to consider providing additional funding for the project if necessary, subject to reports from the Sabah Water Department (JANS) and the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID).

He said the government is satisfied with the project's performance after being briefed on its progress and the contractor responsible for carrying out the works.

Earlier, Hajiji was briefed on the Tawau Water Supply Scheme Phase III and the Main Water Supply Infrastructure Development for Tawau District by JANS Headquarters' Senior Assistant Director of the Monitoring Branch and Project Manager, Rodney Tinggas.

He also received a briefing on flood-prone areas in Tawau municipality and the Tawau Flood Mitigation Project Plan from Tawau DID District Engineer, Syahzarul Rizal Joddari.

According to the JANS briefing, the RM450.5 million Tawau Water Supply Scheme Phase III project, which includes the construction of the Tawau Water Dam, had
achieved 74.04 per cent physical progress as of July 25, compared with the scheduled target of 73.89 per cent.

The project includes the construction of a dam with a raw water storage capacity of 30 million cubic metres (MCM) and the installation of 11.6 kilometres of 700-millimetre raw water pipelines. Once completed, the dam will supply raw water to the Cinta Mata 1, Cinta Mata 2 and Northern Water Treatment Plants, with a combined treated water production capacity of 161 million litres per day.

The briefing also stated that the project is aimed at ensuring a reliable raw water supply to the Cinta Mata 1 and 2 as well as the Northern Water Treatment Plants, reducing the risk of raw water shortages during the dry season, and providing a sustainable source of raw water.

Among the project's expected benefits are ensuring sufficient raw water supply for existing treatment plants, improving raw water quality through controlled reservoir storage, and reducing flood risks in downstream areas of Tawau.

The project, undertaken by Citic Wijaya Construction, is scheduled for completion on October 21, 2027.

Hajiji was also briefed on the progress of the Cinta Mata 2 Water Treatment Plant, which had achieved 16.08 per cent physical progress as of July 25.

The RM299.9 million project involves the construction of a water treatment plant with a capacity of 30 million litres per day, water storage tanks with capacities of 20 million litres and 10 million litres, as well as the installation of 12 kilometres of treated water pipelines ranging from 150 millimetres to 800 millimetres in diameter.

According to JANS, the project aims to increase treated water production capacity, ensure a stable supply of clean water, and provide a continuous clean water supply to consumers.

The Cinta Mata 2 Water Treatment Plant is scheduled for completion on July 22, 2028 and is expected to benefit approximately 42,000 consumers in Tawau and surrounding areas. Tawau currently has 53,133 registered water consumer accounts with a pipeline network stretching 982.99 kilometres. However, current water production stands at only 130 million litres per day, compared with demand of 142 million litres per day.

JANS also outlined several ongoing issues affecting Tawau's water supply system, including a Non-Revenue Water (NRW) rate of 68 per cent, ageing pipelines, water theft, inadequate water storage capacity, ageing mechanical and electrical equipment, raw water quality and quantity issues, logistical constraints, and water rationing.

Ends