Sarawak govt to upgrade, replace old water pipelines starting 2024

KUCHING (Nov 27): Works to upgrade and replace old and dilapidated water pipelines will be carried out in phases starting in 2024, said Utilities and Telecommunication Minister Dato Sri Julaihi Narawi.

In his ministerial winding up speech, he said the state government has allocated RM1.085 billion for the relevant water agencies to carry out these works.

He said by replacing old water pipelines, it can address one of the main issues affecting the water supply in the state namely high Non-Revenue Water (NRW).

“Non-Revenue Water is the loss of water during distribution to users, which is caused by pipe leaks, water theft and non-functioning water meters. Up to the third quarter of 2023, the average NRW for the whole of Sarawak is high at 43 per cent – a slight decrease compared to 2022.

“This is one of the main reasons for the high rate of NRW, because these old pipelines are easily broken thus causing low water pressure or supply cut-off, leading to water disruption,” he said.