SHAH ALAM, July 23 — The odor pollution detected in several rivers in Selangor since yesterday is believed to have been caused by a factory processing acrylic materials for recycling, said state executive councillor for public health and the environment Jamaliah Jamaluddin.
Checks by the Selangor Water Management Authority (Luas) and related parties found that effluent from a leaking tank had caused a substance, believed to be scheduled waste polymethacrylic acid, to overflow into drains and ditches up to Sungai Kuang.
The material also spilt into the nearby rivers, where the Luas static team detected an odour measuring 3 tons (Threshold Odour Number) in Sungai Kundang at 1.30am and in Sungai Sembah at 4.30am today.
“Luas has ordered the premises to stop the discharge and carry out cleaning works immediately, as the negligence poses a risk to nearby water treatment plants (WTPs), including Rantau Panjang WTP, located 29.61km away, and SSP1, SSP2, and SSP3, located 34.02km away,” she said in a statement today.
Luas is actively implementing mitigation measures in the affected rivers, including increasing the application of activated carbon for deodorisation, implementing dilution works, and pumping water to accelerate the flow of polluted materials past the plants’ intake area.
Following the incident, Jamaliah said Luas had opened an investigation paper under Section 79(1) of the LUAS Enactment 1999, adding that the parties involved are also facing enforcement action from the Department of Environment and the Selayang Municipal Council.
Air Selangor announced earlier that seven regions, namely Petaling, Klang, Shah Alam, Gombak, Kuala Lumpur, Hulu Selangor and Kuala Selangor, were facing unscheduled water supply disruptions due to the temporary shutdown of four WTPs following an odour pollution incident at Sungai Kundang and Sungai Sembah.
— Bernama
