RM5bil for Johor to end dependence on Singapore treated water

RM5bil for Johor to end dependence on Singapore treated water

PETALING JAYA: Seeking to eliminate its dependence on the import of treated water from Singapore by 2030, the Johor government has allocated just over RM5 billion to develop three reservoirs and three water treatment plants.

The multi-billion ringgit initiative, which will be aided by Putrajaya, will see the three reservoirs built along Sungai Johor, Sungai Pontian Besar and Sungai Sedili Besar at a combined cost of RM1.6 billion, The New Straits Times reported.

The three water treatment plants will cost RM3.5 billion, increasing Johor’s treated water supply by 41% to 3,061 million litres per day (mld).

The report quoted Johor public works, transport, infrastructure and communications committee chairman Fazli Salleh as saying the reservoirs and plants are a crucial part of Malaysia’s Zero Dependency Project.

He said Johor’s mission to achieve zero dependency on Singapore is part of its plans for the state’s rapid industrial growth, particularly in the area of data centres and manufacturing.

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Earlier, Johor menteri besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi said the reservoirs would significantly boost water reserves to meet the increasing demand from both residents and industries, especially within the Johor-Singapore special economic zone (JS-SEZ).

The federal government will finance the reservoirs, while Johor will fund the three new treatment plants through Ranhill SAJ, the utility company responsible for treated water supply in the state.

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Currently, Johor imports an average of 16 million gallons of treated water per day (mgd) from Singapore, far exceeding the 5mgd required under the Johor River Water Agreement 1962.

This is because local treated water costs nearly RM1.80 per cubic metre, compared with Singapore’s 11 sen per cubic metre.

Johor’s rapid expansion in data centres and semiconductor manufacturing has placed additional pressure on the water supply, as the state has approved 17 new data centres that is expected to utilise 59.06mld of treated water.