By Selangor Journal Team
SHAH ALAM, Feb 3 — The Selangor Water Management Authority (Luas) today responded proactively to an incident in Sungai Bernam, where a lorry crash in Kampung Serigala, Behrang, Perak, yesterday, led to an oil spill affecting a 100m stretch of the river, said Jamaliah Jamaluddin.
In a statement today, the state executive councillor for public health and environment said the oil spill from the 1pm incident temporarily disrupted the raw water supply to the Sungai Selisek water treatment plant (WTP) from 1pm to 5.30pm.
She said following checks, Luas immediately activated static monitoring at the Bernam River Headwork (BRH) WTP and implemented early preventive measures by deploying an oil boom to contain the spill.
She stated that the incident could impact the Sungai Selisik WTP at 3.2km and BRH WTP at 31.5km.
“Luas also oversaw the removal of the vehicle and the restoration of the affected riverbank, which was completed by late evening on the same day.
“Luas conducted subsequent assessments at the location and the surrounding area and confirmed that no traces of oil or abnormal odours remained in the area,” she said in the statement.
Jamaliah said a joint inspection with Pengurusan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Air Selangor) confirmed water flow at the Sungai Selisek intake point had returned to normal.
She said continuous monitoring by Luas at an upstream location in Sungai Bernam from the BRH WTP throughout the night until 10am today found that the river was unaffected.
Meanwhile, Jamaliah said Luas initiated an investigation under the Luas Enactment 1999 to take enforcement action against the responsible parties.
She said the state agency expressed its appreciation to Air Selangor for its swift response and cooperation, which helped mitigate a larger impact on Sungai Bernam’s water supply.
“The Selangor government, through Luas, remains committed to safeguarding the state’s water resources and environment, taking firm action against any negligence that threatens water quality.
“Preservation and conservation of water sources are a shared responsibility and the cooperation from all parties is much appreciated,” the statement read.
