Air Selangor Implements Various Measures to Promote Water Conservation, Ensuring Sustainable Water Supply for the Future

We are often reminded of the importance of saving for the future and preparing to face emergencies by being frugal. Additionally, in today’s world, knowing how to manage expenses wisely has become essential, as good financial management is now a key priority.

However, when it comes to one of our most basic needs—clean water—how many of us truly understand that conserving water is equally crucial for our future?

For consumers, their daily routines are dependent on an uninterrupted water supply. Yet, the rapid pace of urbanisation is directly impacting water usage rates, increasing the demand on shared water resources.

For public information, the average domestic water consumption in 2023 in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, and Putrajaya was 241 liters per capita per day (LCD), as reported in the Domestic Water Consumption report by the National Water Services Commission (SPAN). This consumption is noticeably higher compared to other Asian countries, such as Singapore (151
LCD), Thailand (193 LCD), and China (179 LCD).

In light of these factors, Malaysia’s largest water services provider, Pengurusan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Air Selangor), which currently serves 9.62 million consumers across Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, and Putrajaya, is ramping up efforts to promote water conservation initiatives. Air Selangor is implementing sustainable water resource management in its operations and infrastructure to ensure a long-term, reliable supply for all its consumers.

200 million liters of physical water loss annually

Infrastructure improvements are essential to making water-saving initiatives effective, as they ensure a reliable water supply for consumers. Air Selangor reports that approximately 200 million liters of water are lost each year due to aging assets. To put it in perspective, this volume of water could fill 80,000 household water tanks of 2,500 liters each, representing a significant loss of resources that the public should otherwise benefit from.

Therefore, strengthening pipe replacement and leak detection efforts is essential to reducing the Non-Revenue Water (NRW) rate. Non-Revenue Water (NRW) refers to treated water that is “lost” before it reaches consumers. Under the NRW reduction program, three primary measures are being implemented: the pipe replacement program, physical loss reduction strategies, and commercial loss reduction strategies.

To achieve this, Air Selangor will double its pipe replacement efforts, increasing the annual replacement length from 150 kilometers to 300 kilometers starting in 2024, with a plan to further increase this to 400 kilometers annually from 2034 onward.

This initiative aligns with Air Selangor’s goal to reduce the NRW rate to 27.5% by 2025 and further to 25% by 2030 from 27.8% currently.

However, every effort by Air Selangor will not yield the desired results without consumers support and awareness. Therefore, conserving water, a vital resource for life, is the shared responsibility of every community to ensure that future generations can enjoy a sustainable water supply.

Towards a Water-Conscious Society: Air Selangor’s Holistic Approach to Conservation

To address the growing demand for water resources, Air Selangor is actively implementing various water-saving measures aimed at raising community awareness about water conservation and promoting sustainable water use habits across society. Through close collaboration with communities, educational institutions, and partners, these measures not only provide the people with water-saving knowledge and practical tools. These measures include:

• Community Engagement Programs: By actively collaborating with communities, Air Selangor hopes to effectively raise awareness about water conservation. The program also equips communities with knowledge and practical tools to reduce water wastage in daily life.
• Promotion of Water Thimbles: One way to conserve water in households is by installing water thimbles in all faucets. This can effectively save up to 20% of water usage. Air Selangor’s Water Conservation Team provides these thimbles free of charge to consumers in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya and conducts brief demonstrations on their usage.
• Water-Saving Program for Religious Places: Air Selangor replaces faucets at selected mosques with water efficient taps, helping to reduce water wastage while also highlighting the importance of water conservation in religious and public spaces. This initiative ensures a more comprehensive implementation of water-saving practices, reinforcing Air Selangor’s commitment to environmental stewardship.
• Educational Outreach in Schools and Universities: Through short- and long-term programs, Air Selangor collaborates with educational institutions to successfully promote the importance and value of sustainable water usage to younger generations. These initiatives are crucial for fostering long-term water-saving habits and ensuring that water conservation knowledge is passed on to future generations.
• Partnerships: To enhance the effectiveness of conservation efforts, Air Selangor collaborates with institutions like Perbadanan Putrajaya and Hospital Sungai Buloh to provide water usage data to support environmental initiatives. Air Selangor also participates in these institutions’ open days to promote water thimbles and other Air Selangor initiatives. Air Selangor has also placed water-saving stickers on all toilets and sinks in Hospital Sungai Buloh to highlight the importance of water conservation. Air Selangor is looking forward to working with more institutions to encourage a culture of water conservation among users.
• Water Handbook: The Water Handbook is a collaboration between Air Selangor and Universiti Malaya, with both parties signing a partnership agreement in 2021. The handbook promotes three key principles: sustainability, conservation, and recovery. The handbook aligns with Air Selangor’s vision to support Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and SDG 13 (Climate Action).

Unity Mission: Inspiring Young Water-Savers with BoBoiBoy

Air Selangor has also partnered with the BoBoiBoy brand to roll out a series of flagship events aimed at educating the younger generation on water-saving habits through animation and children’s stories.

To raise water conservation awareness among younger audiences, Air Selangor and Monsta are holding a contest in primary schools across Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, and Putrajaya, targeting students aged 7 to 12.

The “Unity Mission: Save Water with BoBoiBoy” contest encourages students to showcase their creativity by making videos that express their thoughts on climate change.
Winners will be featured in the Air Selangor x BoBoiBoy video and receive RM15,000 in funds to beautify their school grounds.

Interested participants can submit their videos by December 3, and more information is available at www.airselangor.com/airselangorxboboiboy.

In summary, the initiatives taken by Air Selangor aim to cultivate a sense of responsibility within the community. By practicing sustainable water usage, we can also enhance the well-being of society at large.

Article Published in Oriental Daily on 25 November 2024.