KAPIT: Kapit bazaar as well as the government buildings and residential areas nearby have been experiencing dry taps since late Wednesday afternoon.

As of noon yesterday, water supply had yet to be restored.

A Public Works Department (JKR) waterworks section staff member confirmed that the problem was due to a jam in a section of the water supply system as well as the inability of the town’s pipes to deal with increased water pressure.

He promised that the department’s staff would work round-the-clock to try to restore water supply.

“Kapit has had good water supply since the water extension treatment plant was commissioned late in April. There should be enough water supply for everybody but what actually happened is the upgrading work to supply clean water was only half done,” said a source with knowledge of the waterworks section.

“The reticulation pipes are ageing – installed more than 30 years ago. Moreover, they are only six-inch diameter asbestos pipes. With the increased water pressure, of course there are bursts here and there causing abrupt disruption to proper water supply. In order to solve the problem, all the reticulation pipes need to be replaced to ensure consistent supply.

“This is a very critical area that the government needs to look into urgently.”

He explained that if a reticulation pipe malfunctions, it would actually affect the whole water supply system.

Currently, the new water treatment plant supplies some 12 million litres of water per day.

Shortly after 6pm on Wednesday, many townsfolk were seen taking turns to bathe and wash at the taps around Gelanggang Terasang market. Due to the large storage tank, the market was one of the few places to be unaffected by the water supply disruption.

Business owners, particularly eatery operators, were forced to get workers to supply them with water.

A resident identified only as Ah The complained that Kapit may be rich in water resources but its taps continue to run dry several times each month.

“Who is to be responsible? The government should take note of the problem of dry taps in Kapit. Why are there frequent cuts of water supply which cause hardship and inconvenience to the people?” he complained.