Selamat Hari Merdeka (Four PUB facilities handed back)
Today marks the 54th celebrations of Independence and the proclamation of the newly formed sovereign state, Federation of Malaya. The Constitution of Federation of Malaya also came to force. YTM Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra who led the negotiations with Whitehall, wtinessed the lowering of the Union Jack from Malayan soil.
Today also will be a historic moment as Singapore Public Utilities Board hands over Gunong Pulai water treatment plant and dam, Sg Skudai and Pontian water treatment plants and Sg Tebrau pumping station to the Government of Johor. The Gunong Pulai plant has been in operation since 1924.
Monday August 29, 2011
Singapore hands over water treatment plants to Johor
By NELSON BENJAMIN
nelson@thestar.com.my
JOHOR BARU: Johor will soon control at least 43 out of the 44 water treatment plants in the state after Singapores Public Utilities Board (PUB) hands over two of the plants this Wednesday.
The Skudai and Gunung Pulai water treatment plants which were both built and managed by PUB for 50 years will be handed over to the state government together with two pump houses in Pontian and Tebrau.
With the handover of all the four assets, which are worth millions of ringgit and covering an area of 3,301ha, the state will be able to produce a total of 681 million litres of treated water per day.
New flow of income: The Johor Government will take over the spillway at the Gunung Pulai Reservoir from PUB by Wednesday.The Gunung Pulai water treatment plant has at least four mini reservoirs.
Presently the 44 water treatment pla! nts in t he state are managed by four companies namely PUB, Syarikat Air Johor (SAJ),Southern Water Corporation BhdandEquiventures Sdn Bhd.
After the handover, PUB will still operate the Linggiu Dam and Johor River water treatment plant.
It is understood that the historic event will be witnessed by VIPs from both Malaysia and Singapore, including the Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, Mentri BesarDatuk Abdul Ghani Othmanand Singaporean ministers in a special event on Aug 31.
The handover marks the end of one of the three water agreements signed with Singapore in 1961, 1962 and 1990.
The preparations for the handover have been going on for months, with State Water Regulatory Body and State Economic Planning Unit working with SAJ to send its workers for training to handle the machinery.
PUB will buy water at 3sen for each 1,000 gallons of water and sells treated water to Johor at 50sen per 1,000 gallons.
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The 50 year agreement signed in 1961 between the Government of Johor and Singapore City Council ended yesterday and these facilities will be handed over at no cost of acquisition. In fact, in the hand over agreement Singapore PUB agreed to make good of the said facilities before handing it back.
HRH Sultan of Johor will witness the formal handing over in the morning. Two Cabinet Ministers representing the Singapore Government will also be present.
Two other PUB facilities are still operational to supply raw water for the consumption of Sin! gaporean s, which is Sg Lingui and Sg Johor dams.
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