SANDAKAN: LDP vice-president Chong Thien Ming and the LDP Complaint unit visited the Jabatan Air Sandakan office on Jalan Lintas Sibuga, where they met with Assistant District Engineer Encik Suffian.
Chong highlighted the ongoing water cuts that Sandakan residents are experiencing, often without prior notice.
He mentioned that sudden pipe bursts, like the recent one involving a 450mm main pipe, lead to last-minute shutdowns, causing frustration among the community.
He raised concerns about the Bandar Leila water pump booster, questioning why it is not supplying water to completed apartments.
This issue has sparked negative feedback on social media, he said in a statement today.
Encik Suffian explained that low water pressure in the area is due to the shutdown of the Trig Hill Station, which lacks an underground water source. This situation affects the water supply to several areas, including Bandar Ramai Ramai, Bandar Leila, and Bandar Nam Tung.
Additionally, JAS suspects there may be a pipe leak and is currently investigating. Suffian noted that if the water pressure is low and the pump operates at high speed, it could damage the pump since it cannot handle the input volume.
He clarified that the water pump booster is meant to help distribute water to higher elevations, not to serve as a reserve tank. JAS is cautious about running the pump with insufficient water supply.
Currently, JAS is depending on the Segaluid and Kinabatangan distribution houses, which are operating at full capacity. They have proposed building a second Segaluid distribution pump house to accommodate Sandakan’s growing development.
Sandakan is currently dealing with around 50 complaints related to water issues, including 20 cases of pipe bursts. JAS has assured that they will address all these concerns.
