Cushioning impact of water crisis through rainwater harvesting

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 25 (Bernama) -- The hot and dry spell Malaysia is currently experiencing, which is expected to last until end-March, is causing the public to become jittery.

Besides health concerns like fatigue and higher risk of stroke due to the extreme temperatures, the public, especially Klang Valley residents, are also worried about a looming water crisis and water rationing exercise, similar to what they had faced last year.

There is already cause for concern because the Sungai Selangor dam, which supplies water to 60 percent of consumers in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Selangor, has been seeing its water level dropping since Feb 2.

According to the National Water Services Commission index, the average domestic water consumption per person in Malaysia was 210 litres in 2013, enough to fill up 140, 1.5-litre-capacity, bottles.

The consumption level is considerably high when compared to the World Health Organisation's recommendation of 165 litres per capita domestic consumption.

Reusing rainwater

It is worth pondering why most urban Malaysians are totally dependent on their supply of treated water to carry out daily activities like washing their toilets, floors and cars and watering their gardens. Why don't they consider performing these tasks using rainwater?

In kampungs, it is not uncommon to see villagers placing huge jars or containers outside their homes to collect rainwater, which they use for washing purposes or watering their plants.

National Hydraulic Research Institute of Malaysia (NAHRIM) Director-General Datuk Ir Ahmad Jamaluddin Shaaban said it was unfortunate that most people still did not realise the value of reusing rainwater

"Rainwater goes to waste just like that, it's not given any value... when there's not enough water, we panic.

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Cushioning impact of water crisis through rainwater harvesting