S'pore supplied extra treated water to Johor residents from Jan. 2 - 4, 2019 due to pollution

A friend in need is a friend indeed.

Sulaiman Daud | January 07, 2019, 05:10 PM

Singapore supplied extra treated water to Johor Bahru recently, PUB revealed in a statement on Jan. 6, 2019.

This was done at the Malaysian state's request.

According to Channel NewsAsia and The Straits Times, PUB said an additional 6 million gallons of treated water per day was supplied over three days.

This extra supply was provided by turning on PUB’s Pasir Gudang offtake.

The statement added that this additional amount was on top of the 16 million gallons per day that is usually supplied from Singapore to Johor.

Pollution

The cause of the disruption was reportedly due to pollution at the river catchment area supplying Johor's own water plants.

In November 2017, Johor also experienced a disruption in water supplies after ammonia pollution shut down a treatment plant in Sembrong West.

PUB clarified that its own Johor River Waterworks were not affected by the pollution in the 2019 incident.

Three times the amount

Under the 1962 Water Agreement, Singapore is required to supply Johor with 5 million gallons of treated water per day.

However, in practice, Singapore supplies more than three times that amount.

PUB also said the additional treated water is sold to Johor on a "goodwill basis", the same price as under the 1962 Water Agreement.

It clarified that the price is 50 sen (S$0.17) per 1,000 gallons, which is a "fraction of the cost" of treating the water.

Cooperation despite disputes

PUB's statement came at a time when tensions exist between Malaysia and Singapore over various territorial disputes.

Malaysian government vessels have intruded into Singapore territorial waters.

Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke claims that Singapore is encroaching on the sovereignty of Southern Johor's airspace, despite air traffic management concerns safety and efficiency, and not sovereignty.

However, Singapore and Johor have historically maintained good relations.

In June 2018, the Crown Prince of Johor thanked Singapore in a tweet for supplying his state with additional treated water during the drought season.

He called Singapore "a neighbour and a friend", and expressed his hope that the close ties and friendship would last forever.

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Top image from Johor Southern Tigers' Twitter page