JOHOR BAHRU: Close to 800,000 residents across Johor have found themselves scrambling for water after pollution from a burst sand mining pond turned Sungai Johor murky and forced several water treatment plants to shut down temporarily.
According to the The Star, the incident, which began on Friday (Oct 31), caused an unscheduled water disruption that affected large parts of Tiram, Tebrau, Kempas, Iskandar Puteri, Bukit Indah, and surrounding areas. Many households have been relying on water tankers as authorities rush to clean up the river and restore supply.
According to water operator Ranhill SAJ, the company is working non-stop to bring water back to affected areas. It has urged those who still have supply to store enough water in case of further interruptions.
“Efforts to provide water supply through tanker trucks are ongoing to ensure consumers continue to receive water throughout the raw water pollution incident,” the company said on Facebook, as quoted by The Star.
While the Linggiu plant has resumed operations, the Semangar water treatment plant, which is one of Johor’s key facilities, is expected to slowly return to full capacity by Saturday night. The company added that it’s closely monitoring water quality to ensure that all treatment plants can safely resume operations.
What exactly happened?
According to Johor’s works, transport, infrastructure and communications committee chairman Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh, the problem started when a sand washing pond burst at a mining site in Kota Tinggi. The collapse, believed to be caused by soil movement, sent a surge of mud and sand into Sungai Johor — the same river that supplies raw water to multiple treatment plants.
To put things into perspective, officials said the river’s turbidity level — which measures how cloudy the water is — shot up to 37,400 NTU, compared to its usual level of around 400 NTU. That’s almost a hundred times dirtier than normal.
In a bid to contain the problem, water release from Linggiu Dam was increased to dilute the contamination and stabilise the river’s flow, The Star reported.
The situation also affected operations at several key plants, including Sungai Johor, Linggiu, Semangar and even the PUB facility of Singapore, raising worries that the disruption could spread beyond Johor’s borders.
Netizens react
As news of the incident spread online, many netizens took to social media to vent their frustration and ask tough questions. One user commented, “How is a sand mining activity allowed near the water intake?” questioning how such high-risk operations were taking place so close to Johor’s main water source.
Another Facebook user asked pointedly, “What is the action taken?” This demonstrates calls for accountability from those involved, may it be the authorities or even the sand mining company responsible for the burst pond.
Still, there were also messages of concern and solidarity. “Hope the situation gets under control soon. Take care!” one netizen wrote.
As cleanup continues, many are hoping this serves as a wake-up call; this was a reminder that sustainable practices aren’t just about policy, but they’re about ensuring that no one has to worry about where their next drop of clean water will come from.
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