JOHOR BARU, Jan 7 — The Johor government will take harsh action against sand-mining operators in the state for failing to maintain their mining areas, causing pollution to rivers that supply raw water to be processed.

Johor International Trade, Investment and Utilities Committee chairman Jimmy Puah Wee Tse said the state government will not compromise with those who pollute water sources.

"Stern action should be imposed on the operators as the state government considers the issue of water disruption that the people face due to river pollution,” he said in a statement today.

Puah’s warning came after a sand-mining company’s activities along Sungai Johor had resulted in pollution that disrupted water treatment at the Semangar plant in Johor.

Some 3,000 homes in Taman Desa Tebrau and nearby areas in Johor Baru were affected during the water supply disruption on January 1.

At Johor’s request, Singapore’s water agency Public Utilities Board (PUB) reportedly sent an additional six million gallons per day to Johor during the period, on top of its typical daily supply of 16 million gallons.

PUB helped to tide Johor residents over the water supply disruption by turning on PUB’s Pasir Gudang off-take and supplying an additional six millions of gallons per day of treated water.

Puah, who is also the Bukit Batu assemblyman, said the additional treated water supply was sent for two days on January 2 and 3, to meet the emergency arising from water pollution in Sungai Johor.

He said the river pollution was due to a broken sandfill along the Sungai Johor that caused a high turbidity rate where the raw water cannot be processed into treated water.

"This additional water supply is according to the procedures set by the Johor government through the Johor Water Regulation Body (BAKAJ). 

"The cooperation between the state government through BAKAJ and PUB is always good to ensure that Johoreans continue to enjoy uninterrupted supply of treated water,” said Puah.