KUALA TERENGGANU, April 2 (Bernama) -- The Muslim community in 30 areas in Kuala Terengganu had their Ramadan preparations affected due to a prolonged water supply disruption since early yesterday morning.

The disruption was due to a burst pipe in Pulau Kambing which involved the Bukit Kecil water tank, affecting 30,000 consumers.

A civil servant, Nurasikin Awang, 45, said the water disruption was from early yesterday morning, and until now, he had not received any water assistance from the relevant authorities.

"It does not feel good to start Ramadan this way. We cannot cook or clean the house, all of which needs a lot of water. I had to resort to buying drinking water and had to use it sparingly.

"I hope the water supply is restored as soon as possible and will not last for long because the water in the tank has been used up yesterday. If we want to 'sahur' (pre-dawn meal before fasting) later, perhaps we have to just buy some side dishes as this will be the only practical way," said Nurasikin, who lives in Kampung Bukit Tumbuh near Kuala Nerus.

A resident, Nurul Syasya Nabila Karim, 32, from Taman Pmint Seberang Takir, said she found it difficult to buy drinking water following the water disruption as most of the bottled water stocks at sundry shops had run out.

"I live with my parents and six siblings. We were forced to travel to my grandmother's house in Losong to bathe and get stocks of drinking water as well as water to bathe the next morning," she said.

Meanwhile, Syarikat Air Terengganu Sdn Bhd (SATU) chief executive officer Abdul Karim Endut said the water disruption was caused by a 414-millimeter (mm) water pipe that burst and that repair work was completed at midnight yesterday.

"However, there was another burst pipe, measuring 600 mm, which happened today roughly 50 metres from the first pipe. Repair work on the second pipe is still underway and the water supply is expected to be fully restored in the affected areas by 7.30 pm tomorrow.

"Until now, a total of six water tankers and 13 static tanks are being moved in stages to the affected areas, with priority to critical premises," he said.

He also said that there will be a solution to the unscheduled water supply disruptions that often occur involving the Bukit Kecil water tank when the new water treatment plant (LRA) in Losong starts operations next month.

“The construction work at the Losong LRA, with a capacity of 44 million litres per day, is now in the final phase (99.8 per cent) of the project. When operational, the water supply problem in Bukit Kecil will be overcome in the long run until 2030," he added.

-- BERNAMA