Mohamed Khaled (second from left) handing over a mock presentation of ceiling fans from SAJ Runhill Sdn Bhd to Rumah Anak Yatim Kasih Setanggi at the Hari Raya celebration.
JOHOR BARU: A carbon filter costing RM350,000 has been installed at the Simpang Renggam water treatment plant following the recent water contamination problem there.
SAJ Ranhill Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Datuk Ahmad Faizal Abd Rahman said the installation works for the zeolite filter will be completed soon and will help prevent future ammonia contaminations.
“We are taking proactive measures to ensure the recent case of leachate from Landang CEP Simpang Renggam dumpsite, which overflowed into Ulu Sungai Benut, does not recur.
“Usually, only sand filtration system is installed at treatment plants but for the one in Simpang Renggam we have decided to include 30% zeolite filter,” he said here during SAJ’s Hari Raya celebration.
Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin was present at the event.
Ahmad Faizal added that the zeolite filter, which filters significantly finer than sand items, would be able to treat ammonia content of up to 6.5ppm (parts per million).
“Although the operating cost for the plant may go up, the zeolite filter will help overcome ammonia contamination problems there, as this was not the first time the plant was shut down due to ammonia contamination.
“We are confident of overcoming the ammonia contamination with this filter unless the level of ammonia is extremely high, which is very rare,” he noted.
He also said that the zeolite filter can last up to eight years but if it is constantly clearing ammonia, then its lifespan could shorten to about four or five years.
“This is our second time using zeolite filters for water treatment plants, the first was installed at the Sungai Gembut plant in Kota Tinggi, costing RM150,000,” he said.
It was reported that some 150,000 consumers in Simpang Renggam were left high and dry when SAJ was forced to shut down the water treatment plant for more than 14 hours after high ammonia content was detected in Sungai Ulu Benut which supplies raw water to the treatment plant.
High ammonia content in the river was the result of leachate from a dump site after the bund at the storage pond collapsed.
