KOTA KINABALU, June 19 ― Water supply to the quake-hit district of Ranau has almost returned to normal with the rapid clearing of logjams and supplementary relief efforts from other agencies.

Sabah Water Department district technician Raipin Aking said that the Kimolohing  water treatment plant started operations yesterday around 5pm and started reaching consumers at about 2am.

“We are now producing at 60 per cent capacity. Weather conditions permitting, we expect to hit normal production in a day or two,” he said when contacted by Malay Mail Online.

The Kimolohing plant, one of two water intake sources in the district at the epicentre of an earthquake two weeks ago, has been stricken by massive mudslides following over 80 aftershocks in the region.

On Tuesday, tonnes of logs and debris came crashing through the river, uprooting trees and causing erosion around the Mesilau and Liwagu riverbanks.

The logs eventually got stuck at the treatment plant, causing a sea of dead trees, said to go back up to 1km, causing muddied waters and also damage to the dam.

The water treatment plant, which produces eight million litres a day of water, shut down for two days, depriving a population of some 100,000, including hospitals, schools and homes from tap water.

Villagers relied on donated bottled water from the state capital and other districts as well as gravity water feed systems from distant villages while authorities worked round the clock to remove the logs and boulders.

“Water tankers and water supply from the army, state departments and non-governmental organisations will continue to be sent to Ranau town and other villages also cut off from water supply while we wait for the supply to return to normal,” said Raipin.

Two mobile water purification plants were also delivered to Ranau this morning, loaned from private operator Timatch Sdn Bhd that will provide up to 24 tonnes of drinking water per day to villages who can collect the water by bottles and containers.

The plant, to be set up in Ranau town and Kampung Sinar, will treat water directly from the river into drinking water approved by the World Health Organisation standards.

About 750 people, from Kampung Mesilau in Kundasang, and about 11 villages around Ranau have been displaced and are living in evacuation centres for fear of the continual rain causing the river to overflow and damaging their homes.

The Ranau community hall is currently sheltering some 390 villagers, the Kundasang mini-hall has some 218 while the Merakau relief centre has 145.

Private companies and individuals from the state capital have also volunteered efforts to  send continuous supply of water, food and mattresses to the relief centres. It is believed some 400,000 cartons of bottled water has been sent to Ranau so far.