Landfill to blame, it caused smelly tap water, says minister

NST: Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid is saying it again — it’s the Bukit Tagar landfill that was the cause of smelly tap water in the Klang Valley last week.
This is in spite of the various denials and theories countering his earlier statement on the matter.
Azmi said a report by the Department of Environment on the cause of pollution in Sungai Selangor revealed that it was the landfill and not pig farms or other activities along the river that caused the ammonia level in the water to rise.
"The DOE has tested other areas along the river and has found that none of them caused the overflow of ammonia into Sungai Selangor," he said when contacted.
The river supplies the bulk of drinking water to the Klang Valley.
Azmi added that the ministry had submitted its findings to the Cabinet.
Yesterday, DOE director-general Datuk Rosnani Ibarahim said the landfill in Rawang was under investigation for violating conditions in its environmental impact assessment. The main condition requires the landfill to ensure no leachate escapes into the river.
In Padang Besar, Azmi said he was perplexed as to why the water, despite being declared safe for consumption by the DOE, still stank.
He wanted to know if Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas) lacked the expertise to treat the smelly water.
"They should explain whether any measures had been taken to resolve the week-long problem. Also, do they have the capability to do it? Could it be due to the additional cost? Whatever it is, they should explain the actual problem. It is their moral obligation to do so," Azmi said.
He was speaking after launching the mobile public complaints bureau at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Padang Besar. "I am very concerned as it has affected so many people in Klang Valley."
He said he would be going to the Bukit Tagar landfill in Rawang to have a first-hand look at the situation.
On Saturday, he had revealed that the cause of the smelly tap water was water seeping or overflowing from the Bukit Tagar landfill storage pond into Sungai Selangor following heavy rain on Feb 26.