ASI Managing Director Wan Abd Halim Abd Majid said that a “Water Storage Controlling System” will be implemented at a cost of RM2.4 billion and is expected to be completed by 2020.
“The aim of the project is to build underground tube storage tanks that will be used to collect rain water. The storage is a long term solution to eliminate water shortages,” he said after a briefing on the water project today.
Wan Abd Halim said that it is crucial that the city look into alternative water supply to prevent water scarcity while also catering for the growing population in the city which is expected to touch 2.2 million by 2020.
He added that ASI had been appointed by the Federal Territories Ministry to be the contractor for the project.
“We got the contract three years ago from the ministry after successfully bidding for the flood mitigation project.
“It was then that the ministry asked us to come up with a solution to the water problem and that is how we also started working on the ‘Water Storage Controlling System’,” he said.
Wan Abd Halim said that ASI will fully fund the project and will own and sell the raw water to industries and the government.
“ASI will also sign a water concession agreement with the ministry for a period of 25 years upon the establishment of the contract.
“ASI is to hand over the system to the government after the completion of the contract,” he said.
Phase 1, which is expected to commence next March, will see the construction of 20 tube wells with a capacity of 14 million litres per day (MLD), to be built at Taman Tasik Titiwangsa for rain water harvesting, storm water and treated waste water and is targeted to be fully completed in 2018.
The water will then be supplied to industries located in Sungei Besi, Cheras, Kepong and other areas.
Wan Abd Halim said that Phase 2 of the project will consist of another 100 tube wells, with ASI looking to have a total of 1,200 tube well’s located at 30 areas eventually.