PEKAN: Tourism industry players, especially hotel and resort operators at Fraser's Hill, can finally breathe easy following plans to upgrade the water supply system at the popular colonial-era hill station in Raub.
Pengurusan Air Pahang Bhd (Paip) chief executive officer Datuk Saiful Zaini Mohd Bokhari said two new water pumps would be installed to replace the outdated and ageing pumps at the water treatment plant (LRA) at the hill station.
"We are in the process of procurement to purchase the new water pumps. The second pump will be put on standby and only used as a backup, depending on the operational needs during peak season.
"Last week, a site visit was conducted to the LRA site where the new pumps will be installed," he told reporters when met at the Kampung Merchong community hall here today.
Saiful Zaini said issues at the Fraser's Hill LRA, which resulted in unscheduled water disruption last December, has been fully resolved after repair works were completed on Dec 27 last year.
"It was unfortunate for the pumps to run into issues last December. We do not want further problems and have decided to replace the old ones with new units.
"We understand the importance of continuous water supply for the tourism operators and residents at Fraser's Hill.
"Paip hopes there will be no further issues concerning treated water when the new pumps are installed," he said.
Faulty pumps resulted a four-day unscheduled water disruption at Fraser's Hill on Dec 24 last year and caught many travelers, who had planned to spend their Christmas holidays at the hill station, by surprise. Some even travelled down to Kuala Kubu Baru from Fraser's Hill to buy water and food.
The following day, Pahang Unity, Tourism and Culture Committee chairman Leong Yu Man said Paip has been instructed to replace the pumps at the LRA as further incidents would hurt the tourism industry.
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Saiful Zaini had earlier accompanied state Local Government, Housing, Environment and Green Technology Committee chairman Datuk Mohammad Fakhruddin Mohd Ariff to visit water supply projects in Pekan.
Fakhruddin, who is also Bebar assemblyman, said 13 projects with a cost of RM246 million would be carried out in Pekan, including installing new pipelines and upgrading the supply system at water treatment plants.
He said until last month, two projects had been fully completed, five were currently under construction and six were in the preliminary planning stage.