BY EDWARD RAJENDRA
All grey water should end up in waste water treatment plants, such as the one pictured, instead of in drains which eventually leads to our rivers. –filepic
THOUSANDS of old properties in Selangor are negatively impacting the environment as their waste water is being discharged into municipal drains and polluting rivers.
This is a problem common among houses and commercial properties built before the late 1980s as their drainage pipes are not connected to the sewer.
This missing connection is something Selangor Local Government, New Village Development and Legalising of Factories Committee chairman Ean Yong Hian Wah is concerned about.
He said that thousands of old properties, with drainage pipes not connected to the sewer, discharge waste water full of chemicals and oils into municipal drains.
“All waste water must be discharged into the sewer tank,” he said, adding it was difficult to estimate exactly how many old properties were involved.
Ean Yong added that the problem should be resolved, over time, when people renovate their properties.
Wan Esuriyanti (right) and Shahrul Nizam say there are two different drainage pipes in all properties for unwanted water to be channelled out.
Owners were advised to connect their drainage pipes to the sewer whenever they apply for permission to renovate their homes from the local authorities, he added.
Asked if the state plans to give a discount on renovation fees to encourage people to connect their drainage pipes to the sewer, Ean Yong said, “It might be considered”.
Urban design consultant Ihsan Zainal Mokhtar said drainage pipes should not be connected to municipal drains.
“Most of the time, these old properties change hands many times and it is the present property owner’s responsibility to put things right.
“But, usually it should not be too difficult,” said Ihsan who is also Malaysian Institute of Planners chairman.
Indah Water Konsortium Sdn Bhd (IWK), Corporate Communications head Wan Esuriyanti Wan Ahmad said there were two drainage pipes, in all properties, for waste water to be channelled out.
“One drainage pipe is at the bottom of the rain gutter which allows untreated rainwater to flow into rivers via municipal drains.
“The other drainage pipe takes waste water from toilets, bathrooms, washing machines and kitchens to the main sewerage network,” she said.
Wan Esuriyanti said it was important for all local councils’ planning departments to ensure property owners had the correct pipes fitted in and out of the building.
IWK Corporate Communications Department senior manager Shahrul Nizam Sulaiman said if the plumbing from a house or business was not connected properly, it could cause environmental damage and pollution, which was illegal under the Water Services Industry Act (WSIA) 2006 (Act 655).
WSIA requires all waste water to be channelled into the sewer and not municipal drains.
Shahrul said waste water should be piped underground via a foul drain to the local sewage treatment plant, where it is treated before being discharged into rivers.
“People renovating their homes must not connect the outlets for their washing machines and kitchen sinks to the municipal drains,” he emphasised, adding they were breaking the law if they did so.
Follow us on Wechat or Facebook for the latest updates.
Download StarProperty.my e-Mag(bit.ly/StarProperty_Emag) for more articles.
Want to contribute articles to StarProperty.my? Email editor@starproperty.my. [slider id='81590' name='StarProperty' size='full']
