KUANTAN: Full water supply access for 80,000 account holders in the district here would be restored by Wednesday.
State Basic Amenities and Environment Committee chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Soffi Abd Razak said this is possible with the active restoration works on the embankment near the Kobat Barrage Gate here.
"This is a major operation where 110 lorries were mobilised today to carry rocks (for the repair of the collapsed river bank at Sungai Kuantan)," he said.
Since last Monday, water supply in the district was disrupted due to a drop in water level at the Kobat Barrage Gate.
This was caused by a part of the river bank collapsing when floods hit a few weeks ago, weakening the embankment.
As a result, the water treatment plant could no longer pump or treat water at an optimum level.
Soffi was speaking to the media during his site visit at Kobat Barrage Gate.
Also present was Pengurusan Air Pahang Bhd (PAIP) chief executive officer Datuk Mohd Zahari Md Isa.
Soffi said that the current repair works will focus on repairing the embankment until it reach a height of at least 2.5m.
"We estimate this would lead to an increase in the water level at Sungai Kuantan," he said, adding that this would allow the water plant to process and supply clean water to affected areas here.
Soffi noted that last week, the state government had directed for water be released from Sungai Chereh dam in Sungai Lembing, to alleviate the water supply disruption here.
"However, we cannot just depend on water from the Sungai Chereh," he said, adding that they seek to proceed with repair works until the embankment reaches a height of 3.5m.
"This (3.5m increase) would take at least three weeks to complete," he said, adding that various government agencies like the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) are involved in this endeavour.
Meanwhile, Zahari said that 80 per cent of affected account holders' water supply has been restored.
"The remaining 20 per cent still gets water supply but sporadically," he said, assuring that full water supply normalcy would be achieved by Wednesday.
At the height of the water disruption last week, areas affected here were Beserah to the Chendor border including Bandar Damansara, Taman Datuk Rashid, Jeram, Aspa Cottage, Jabor, Sungai Karang, Balok, Sungai Ular, Kuantan Port, Cherating, Gebeng Industrial area and nearby areas.
Also affected were Jalan Jabor, Kampung Alor Batu Jabor, Jalan Semambu, Semambu, Semambu Industrial area, Jalan Tengku Muhammad, Jalan Beserah, Alor Akar, Sri Kuantan, Kubang Buaya, Jalan Teluk Sisek, Teluk Chempedak, Istana Mahkota Teluk Sisek, Tanjung Api and nearby areas, among others.