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Pollution Prevention And River Water Quality Improvement Programme

By Hajah Rosnani Ibarahim, Director General of Environment, Lee Choong Min, Director, River Division, DOE

nder the Environmental Quality Act (EQA) 1974 environment means the physical factors of the surroundings of human beings including land, water, atmosphere, climate, sound, odour, taste, the biological factors of animals and plants and the social factor of aesthetics. To date, various water pollution prevention and abatement regulations had been formulated to prevent and control the discharge of effluent from polluting point sources. In combating water pollution and enhancing the quality of our inland waters, besides the enforcement activities carried out in accordance with the requirement of those pollution prevention regulations, the Department of Environment (DOE) also monitors the quality of the river water. The river water monitoring programme was initiated in 1978, with the initial aim of establishing water quality baselines, and subsequently to detect water quality changes and to identify the causes of pollution. Out of the 189 rivers in the country 120 river systems were chosen to be included in this programme based on their beneficial uses and economic importance. A total of 926 river water quality monitoring stations were established within these 120 river basins. The appraisal of the water quality in each river basin is based on the Water Quality Index (WQI) consisting of parameters such as dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammoniacal nitrogen (NH3N), suspended solids (SS) and pH.

River Water Quality Status The trend of water quality (1990 2003) for the 120 river basins is as shown in Figure 1. The number of polluted rivers was observed to be increasing from seven in 1990 to 13 in 1999 while the number of clean rivers had decreased from 48 in 1990 to 35 in 1999. Results of the analysis showed that the deterioration of river water quality in the country was due mainly to discharges of sewage and domestic waste water; animal farming; land clearing and earthworks; agricultural and manufacturing activities. Domestic waste water; surface runoff from urban areas; discharges from restaurant, wet markets and food courts; pollution from agricultural and land clearing activities; suspended solids and silts from earthwork and sand mining are the main non-point polluting sources (NPS).

This deteriorating trend of river water quality had prompted DOE to look into more effective means of improving them in a holistic manner so as to sustain their beneficial uses. Programmes to speed up the improvement of water quality for polluted rivers were then initiated. Systematic and progressive measures need to be done in order to enhance the river water quality to a clean status or to achieve at least the Class II level. Pollution Prevention and River Water Quality Improvement Programme A programme known as the Pollution Prevention and River Water Quality Improvement Programme was initiated with a view to rehabilitate rivers with serious pollution problems to ultimately meet its beneficial uses.

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Among the key objectives of this Programme are: (i) To identify all the point sources and non-point sources of pollution in the subject river basin and to determine the pollution loads and their impact on water quality of that river; (ii) To prepare and to implement plans of action for the rehabilitation and improvement of river water quality from the polluted/slightly polluted category to clean category according to the water quality classification for purposes of potable water supply, recreational activities and tourism; and (iii) To conserve and continuously maintain the clean status of river water quality after the rehabilitation and quality improvement works have been completed. A total of 26 river basins as shown in Figure 2 were identified; six rivers were initially selected for detailed feasibility studies in the rehabilitation programme. The six river basins are Sungai Langat, Sungai Segget, Sungai Tebrau, Sungai Melaka, Batang Rajang and river systems in Cameron Highlands. Studies for the Sungai Langat, Sungai Segget and Sungai Tebrau Basins have been completed in 2003. The study on Sungai Melaka commenced in 2003 and will be completed in 2004. while studies on rivers in Cameron Highlands and Batang Rajang Basins began in early 2004 and will be completed in 2005. For the other remaining 20 river basins, DOE continues to embark on its enforcement and awareness programmes. Formulation of Action Plans The Pollution Prevention and River Water Quality Improvement Programme has four stages of activities. Firstly is the detail study of the river basin in terms of pollution sources and impact on the quality of the water in the basin. Secondly, based on the findings of the study action plans to reduce, prevent and abate pollution; action plans for

enhancement of water quality and the river system for beneficial uses such as water supply, recreational and tourism products are to be formulated. Thirdly, the accepted action plans will then be presented to various responsible agencies for funding application and allocation for implementation and finally the operational and maintenance plans to ensure conservation and sustainability of the achieved water quality. Findings of the studies carried out on Sungai Segget, Sungai Tebrau, and Sungai Langat Basins clearly identified that sewage remains as the main single source of pollution in term of organic pollution loads. Nonpoint pollution sources and industries are other major contributors to pollution of Sungai Langat. These findings led to the assumption that a similar trend may occur for many other river basins of similar land use within their catchment areas. The action plans for pollution prevention and river water quality improvement of Sungai Langat, Sungai Segget and Sungai Tebrau have been completed in the year 2002. Among the measures proposed in the Action Plans included: industrial pollution control measures; upgrading of existing large sewage treatment plants; building new modern mechanical treatment plants to cater for the increasing number of population; in-stream measures include gross pollutant traps (GPTs)
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placed at strategic locations to arrest floating solid waste prior to discharge into rivers; legal and institutional measures; as well as environmental awareness campaigns. Conclusion The effectiveness of the River Pollution Prevention and Water Quality Improvement Programme in all the selected river basins through intensification of enforcement activities, particularly on sewage treatment facilities and industrial sources, to ensure compliance with the stipulated discharge standards supported by public awareness campaigns has resulted in the increase in the number of clean rivers since the implementation of the programme in the year 2001 as shown in Figure 1. With further close co-operation and concerted efforts among the implementing agencies and the general public, we can prevent river pollution and improve its water quality and provide a significant contribution towards protecting one of our vital natural resources. The industries also need to play their roles in carrying out efficient management and put in place appropriate measures to prevent and minimize pollution of the rivers. This integrated effort is of vital importance for water can act as a limiting factor in the pursuit of sustainable development if it is not properly managed. BEM

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