Johor may grant a water bill rebate to nearly 1.2 million residents affected by the Sungai Johor pollution incident, with an announcement expected next week.
JOHOR BAHRU: The Johor state government is considering a water bill rebate for consumers affected by the Sungai Johor pollution incident.
Nearly 1.2 million residents across four districts had their water supply disrupted after pollution forced a temporary shutdown of water treatment plants.
State Works, Transport, Infrastructure and Communication Committee chairman Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh said the decision is expected during the Johor State Legislative Assembly sitting on November 13.
“The state government is considering the rebate; wait for the announcement,” he told reporters when asked about compensation for affected consumers in Kota Tinggi, Kulai, Pontian, and Johor Bahru, including Gelang Patah.
Water supply is expected to be fully restored by midnight tonight, with only 2,472 user accounts still affected in Taman Impian Emas, Taman Bukit Impian, and Taman Anggerik Emas.
Mohamad Fazli also announced that Sungai Johor will be gazetted as a water source priority area to prevent future pollution incidents.
A committee will be established to provide feedback and recommendations to the state government on this move.
All developments along and around Sungai Johor will be identified and monitored.
“If gazetted, development activities, including sand mining, will be controlled,” he said, adding that preservation efforts must be enhanced as the river supplies water to nearly two million users.
The raw water turbidity level at the Sungai Johor Basin has decreased to 500 NTU, close to the normal level of 400 NTU.
This compares to 37,400 NTU recorded during the incident on Friday, which Mohamad Fazli described as the worst pollution in the state’s water supply history.
The previous pollution incident in 2019 at Sungai Sayong, within the Sungai Johor area, only reached about 5,000 NTU.
The recent pollution was caused by a ruptured sand-washing pond at an inland sand mining site in Kota Tinggi.
The incident also affected the livelihoods of more than 150 fishermen, including the Orang Asli community along the upper reaches of Sungai Johor. – Bernama
