By Danial Dzulkifly
SHAH ALAM, Sept 10 — The Selangor government is set to establish a water commission as a better means to protect its water resources.
Dubbed the Selangor Water Commission (SAS), the first-of-its-kind state agency will oversee all treated, raw and sewage water matters.
State executive councillor for infrastructure and agriculture Izham Hashim said plans are now in place to elevate the state’s Raw Water Security Scheme (SJAM) committee — which oversees treated water supply in Selangor — to the SAS.
Izham noted that SAS would be the first state water commission in the country to manage all water-related issues under one administration.
The state is also considering taking over the Selangor chapter of the national sewerage company, Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) Sdn Bhd, as part of this initiative, he said.
This move would consolidate all water management authorities, including the Selangor Water Management Authority (Luas), Pengurusan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Air Selangor) and, potentially, IWK Selangor.
However, he did not provide a timeline for when the move will be done.
“The state needs a powerful legal framework to protect its water sources. That is why we are looking into possibly taking over IWK Selangor.
“SAS will allow for more integrated management of water assets in the state. To date, no other state has done this,” he said in a recent interview with Selangor Journal.
Luas, established under the Selangor Water Management Authority Enactment 1999, oversees river basins, groundwater, surface water, lakes, ponds, former mining pools, and coastal areas via integrated river basin management and integrated coastal management.
Air Selangor, Malaysia’s largest water services provider, supplies treated water to 9.3 million consumers in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, and Putrajaya. It operates 34 treatment plants across 11 regions in the Klang Valley.
Izham stated that the SAS would not conflict with the National Water Services Commission (SPAN), pointing out that water management remains a state matter.
He also noted that SPAN does not manage sewage, highlighting the unique role SAS would play upon its establishment.
He said the commission is already part of the state’s comprehensive water management plan, which includes short-, medium-, and long-term planning of water assets and flood mitigation strategies.
Currently, the SJAM committee, which consists of inter-agency and local authority cooperation, is responsible for managing water resources in the state, including water-related infrastructure projects.
Four main projects under SJAM involve the supply, installation, testing, and commissioning of pumping systems and related works at various sites.
They are the Hybrid Off-River Augmentation System 600 in Bestari Jaya, Kuala Selangor (Package A); Rantau Panjang water treatment plant (WTP) in Kuala Selangor (Package B); Sungai Selangor Phases 1, 2 and 3 WTP in Bestari Jaya (Package C); and Sungai Semenyih WTP in Jenderam Hilir (Package D).
Izham assured the projects would be completed by October, and that the state is working on connecting all major water sources, such as rivers and ponds, as part of its efforts to ensure water security.
