Sarawak Water flushing out air locks in repaired MSCL pumping main at Jln Simpang Tiga

KUCHING (Jan 25): Sarawak Water Sdn Bhd (Sarawak Water) is flushing out air locks within the repaired Mild Steel Cement Lined (MSCL) pumping main located at the Swinburne University entrance here.

Sarawak Water head of distribution Ismail Ali said this may attribute to several areas of residential and business premises experiencing water supply disruption.

“It is possible that after a leak, air locks form as the system is disrupted. Typically, it takes three to four days to clear depending on the condition of the pipelines.

“That is why multiple flushing is needed to remove all trapped air,” he said when contacted by The Borneo Post yesterday.

The 840mm MSCL pumping main had been damaged last Thursday by a third party carrying out piling works under the Kuching Urban Transit System (KUTS) project at the university’s entrance before the overhead bridge along Jalan Simpang Tiga and opposite The Spring Shopping Mall.

Sarawak Water on Sunday issued a statement that repair works had been successfully completed and the affected pipeline has been fully restored to normal operations.

“All essential activities including pipeline repair, system pressure stabilisation, flushing and final inspections have been carried out to ensure the integrity of the system,” read the statement.

It also informed that system pressure would be restored gradually upon resumption of water supply.

“During the initial recovery period, some consumers may experience temporary discoloured water due to sediment disturbance. Sarawak Water will continue to deploy water tankers to area still experiencing no water supply or low water pressure during this recovery phase.”