Indah Water Konsortium partners with Langkawi hotels to improve FOG and sewage management, supporting the island’s environmental sustainability.
LANGKAWI: Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) Sdn Bhd has forged a partnership with hotel operators in Langkawi to enhance the management of fats, oils and grease (FOG) and sewage wastewater, supporting efforts to preserve the resort island’s environmental sustainability.
The joint statement of support between IWK and the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) Kedah/Perlis Chapter underscores a shared commitment to environmental sustainability, best practices in FOG management and stronger strategic ties with industry stakeholders.
IWK Chief Operating Officer Ir Mohd Taufik Salleh said only a small proportion of the community was complying with regular septic tank emptying requirements, with compliance rates recorded at below 15%.
He said the situation was alarming, as septic tanks that are not regularly emptied could fail, causing sewage overflows that may flow into drainage systems and pollute rivers and coastal areas.
“Proper sewage management is essential to safeguarding the island’s coastal waters and ecosystems for future generations.
“The cooperation of premises owners, hotel operators, communities and stakeholders at all levels is vital to the success of this initiative,” he said at the Environmental Sustainability Awareness Programme held in Langkawi today.
The programme, officiated by Kedah Public Works, Natural Resources, Water Supply, Water Resources and Environment Committee chairman Datuk Mohamad Yusoff @ Munir Zakaria, drew about 100 participants, including hotel operators and government agency representatives.
IWK and the National Water Services Commission (SPAN) launched Ops Helang at the event to enhance compliance with regular septic tank desludging and encourage communities and hotel operators to adopt more effective wastewater management practices.
The operation, scheduled for July 13 to 15, will concentrate on enforcement checks and monitoring compliance with regular individual septic tank desludging among commercial and residential premises across Langkawi.
Mohd Taufik said IWK’s operations in Langkawi are supported by four regional sewage treatment plants located in Kuah, Pantai Tengah 1, Pantai Tengah 2 and Padang Matsirat, along with an 85.5km underground sewerage pipeline network.
He said IWK not only operates the centralised sewage treatment system but also monitors and provides desludging services for individual septic tanks under localised sewage systems across the island, covering 3,852 individual septic tank users and 14,766 primitive tank or latrine users.
According to him, Ops Helang goes beyond enforcement and monitoring, serving as a collaborative effort to promote greater awareness and encourage all stakeholders to take responsibility for maintaining the sewerage system.
He said the effort was in line with the commitments of the Kedah and federal governments to strengthen Langkawi’s sewerage infrastructure, including the implementation of the Phase 4 Property Connection Project in Pantai Cenang and Pantai Tengah, adding that the project, which connects 123 premises to the Pantai Tengah Sewage Treatment Plant, was completed in October 2024 at a cost of RM7.52 million under SPAN.
Also in attendance were SPAN Chief Executive Officer Datuk Ahmad Faizal Abdul Rahman, Langkawi District Officer Nasrun Mohd Sheriff and MAH Kedah and Perlis Chapter chairman Eugene Dass.
