3/3/06 (The Malay Mail)   -  THE public was told by Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Syabas) that excessive ammonia was the reason for their smelly tap water. And that it was nothing to worry about.

The whole story is now out, and you may be horrified. Discharges from pig and dairy farms, oxidation ponds and palm oil mills caused the ammonia, it was revealed by the Selangor State Government yesterday. This has led to consumer associations, trade unions, residents’ associations and individuals slamming the State Government and Syabas.

The Selangor State Government owned up yesterday that the stink in the water that flowed from taps in the Klang Valley was caused by discharges from pig and dairy farms, oxidation ponds and palm oil mills.

The statement horrified thousands of affected consumers who had been told that the stink, which many said smelled like faeces, was from excessive ammonia content in the water. However, they were not told the source of the ammonia contamination.

Now that it is out of the bag, consumer associations, trade unions, residents’ associations and individuals have slammed the State Government and Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Syabas) for “sheer incompetence” in safeguarding their health and well-being.

The Malay Mail continued to receive calls from irate Klang Valley residents yesterday, demanding an apology from the State Government and Syabas.

Many of them demanded that Syabas also compensate them for the smelly water supply, and “not come up with lame excuses” that the incident was unforeseeable.

State Executive Councillor for Infrastructure and Public Works Datuk Abdul Fatah Iskandar’s statement yesterday that effluents from pig farms entered Sungai Selangor and the water supply system horrified consumers (see accompanying story).

They urged the State Government to prosecute farms that discharged animal wastes into rivers.

The irate callers were unanimous in holding the State Government and Syabas directly responsible if anyone falls sick after consuming the smelly water.

A lawyer urged consumers to sue Syabas and the State Department of Environment (DOE) if they fall ill after consuming the smelly water.

A parasitologist urged the authorities to ascertain what exactly was in the smelly water, for if it contained mercury, consumers would be in danger.

The Muslim Consumers’ Association of Malaysia (PPIM) flayed Syabas for its earlier statement that the smell in the water was merely the result of the chemical reaction of ammonia and chlorine.

PPIM said it was gravely concerned that the water had been contaminated with wastes, including pig waste.

The Health Ministry was slammed by the Federation of Malaysian Consumer Associations (Fomca) for its “slow response” in assuring that the smelly water was safe for consumption.

Fomca urged the Health Ministry to have a sense of urgency when the issue at stake was the health and safety of millions of Klang Valley consumers.