BIWWEC 2024: No ‘one size fits all’ for water infrastructure, says MWA president

KUCHING (Oct 23): The adoption of scaled decentralised systems in water infrastructure requires careful consideration of various factors to ensure sustainability and resilience, said Malaysian Water Association (MWA) president, Dr Mohmad Asari Daud.

Mohmad Asari emphasised that there is no “one size fits all” approach to system design, particularly for isolated areas where decentralised systems may be more effective.

“When I first joined the International Water Association (IWA), the focus was on finding solutions that are cheap, effective, reliable, and resilient.

“While we often say, ‘no cheap thing is good and no good thing is cheap,’ the challenge is to make affordable solutions perform as well as expensive ones. Centralised systems may offer more sophistication, but advancements in technology now enable decentralised systems to function just as effectively in terms of operation and control.

“…The need to adopt scaled decentralised systems in water infrastructure must consider factors and viability to achieve sustainability and resilience,” he said during an expert insight session at the Borneo International Water and Wastewater Exhibition and Conference (BIWWEC) 2024 at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) today.

Mohmad Asari, who is also IWA vice-president, warned against quick-fix solutions that assume one approach fits all cases.

“It’s an engineering challenge to determine the optimal system size. Deciding between centralised and decentralised systems requires engineering judgment to ensure the solution is both robust and appropriate for the specific situation. This may involve adopting, adapting and adjusting either system,” he said.

Elaborating on decentralised systems, he described them as localised and smaller in size, with the advantage of fostering a stronger sense of ownership within the community, leading to greater public engagement and awareness.

“When the local community is involved at every stage of the water cycle, the environment is better protected, which is a prevailing benefit of decentralised systems,” he explained.

Mohmad Asari contrasted this with centralised systems, noting that in larger setups, people are often unaware of the source of their water. He shared an anecdote from a local university professor who asked course participants where their household water came from, and most incorrectly believed it was sourced from a dam, when it was actually from a river.

“In a centralised system, people often don’t understand where their water originates, nor do they recognise their responsibility to protect the environment that provides it. This is a key merit of decentralised systems. However, centralised systems do have the advantage of being scalable, which is an important factor,” he added.

He also noted that decentralised systems offer benefits in terms of easier operation, quicker project completion and cost savings, especially for smaller-scale projects. He shared an example from Perlis, where smaller water treatment projects were completed more quickly than larger ones, often before contract documents were finalised.

Additionally, he pointed out that decentralised systems allow for more equitable water distribution, especially in areas far from reservoirs where water pressure may be low in centralised systems.

Furthermore, decentralised systems are well-suited for the implementation of circular economy principles and the recycling of water, particularly in the context of Malaysia’s zero discharge policy, which Selangor has already begun enforcing.

“Decentralised systems provide greater resilience, as they can continue functioning even if some parts fail, unlike centralised systems where a single disruption could affect an entire region,” Mohmad Asari said, adding that decentralised systems are adaptive, portable and easier to retrofit to meet local conditions.

Also present were conference delegations from around the world, including Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, New Zealand, China, and representatives from Pengurusan Aset Air Bhd (PAAB).

With a strong turnout this year, Mohmad Asari expressed hope that the event would demonstrate Sarawak’s potential as the ideal host for the World Water Congress & Exhibition (WWCE) in 2028.