RAWANG: While most people have to fork out thousands of ringgit to install water purifiers and filters in their homes, the residents of Bandar Tasek Puteri and its surrounding areas have been enjoying spring water straight from the source.
For the last 14 years, the residents have been coming in droves to a well in the area, filling up water bottles to be brought home.
Pensioner Mohamad Noor Yusoff, 61 believes that around 1,000 people come to the spring every week.
“Most of them come after working hours. The crowd continues even until 3am.
“The spring, found 14 years ago, is not only used by locals but also outsiders. Restaurant operators also claimed that it would make fresh produce last longer,” he said.
Noor, a resident for more than 10 years, said the well also helped people during the Selangor water crisis in 2014 as the water in the well did not run dry.
“During the water crisis, most areas in the state faced water rationing. This neighbourhood however, was excluded as water is always available and we were able to use it for our daily needs.”
He said the neighbourhood became a hit among outsiders who came to the area to source water for their daily needs. The residents had no objections, as they believed that everyone was entitled to the water.
He claimed that the Gombak Drainage and Irrigation Department had previously inspected the well, as they thought that the water originated from a ruptured pipeline.
“After inspection, they were satisfied that the water indeed came naturally from the ground, as was free of sulphur and chlorine.”
Noor claimed that a housing developer had previously planned to build a playground at the area. However, the soil was later deemed unsuitable due to the presence of an underground water reservoir.
“The field was always flooded with water. As such, residents took the initiative to build a well with a depth of 1.5 metres to solve the problem,” he said.
Noor said he and other residents had pooled their resources and spent about RM3,000 to build four water retention tanks, two reserve tanks and to buy PVC pipes, as well as hiring a backhoe to dig up the ground and install the wells.
“The spring water flows naturally to the surface so there was no need for residents to install a water pump at the field,” he said.
Aliyah Sijari, 60, a fellow resident, said she found out about the spring two years ago after her neighbour told her about the existence of the well.
“I do not have to pay even a cent anymore for my water bill as I usually take the water from the well every weekend and use it for my daily needs.
“It is fresher and healthier than the water that comes out from my pipe,” she said.