LABUAN, March 23 (Bernama) -- Water supply disruption experienced by residents on the duty-free island for the past few days has affected their preparations for the first day of the holy month of Ramadan.

More than 20 villages and housing schemes have been without water supply since Monday (March 20) and the residents were forced to rely on static tanks and bottled water for cooking, bathing and other kitchen use.

According to the Labuan Water Supply Division (BBAL) head Trinil Indah Puspita, the water supply disruption started on Monday following a short circuit on the main control board of the phase two pump at Pulau Enoe station.

“We are trying our best to expedite the repair work carried out by the Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) including getting experts from Petronas Methanol Labuan to help.

“Both pumps at phase two on Pulau Enoe have resumed operations today and we are now distributing water from the Pulau Enoe balancing tanks to other tanks before being channelled to consumers,” she said to Bernama today.

She also said the recovery time may vary depending on the distance between the balancing tanks.

“Water supply to the industrial area in Patau-Patau, Sungai Keling, Rancha-Rancha, town area, Membidai, Jalan Arsat, Kerupang and areas near the storage tank terminal and Pulau Enoe pump station has been successfully restored,” she said.

Trinil said BBAL cannot control the time taken to fill up the balancing tanks as they are dependent on gravity and the speed of the pump booster.

She also said other balancing tanks such as in Layangan, Kiansam and Pohon Batu are still empty which explains why several villages and residential areas are still without water.

These areas will only start receiving water supply on Friday evening after all the balancing tanks in Kiansam, Layangan and Pohon Batu are filled, she said. 

The villages still affected are Kg Bebuluh, Kg Belukut, Kg Sg Buton, Kg Sg Bedaun, Taman Mahkota Impian, Jalan Bukit Timbalai, Kg Layangan, Kg Sg Labu, Kg Kilan Kasim & Pulau Akar, Kg Bukit Kuda and parts  Bukit Kalam, Kg Pohon Batu, Pancur Hitam, Kg Batu Manikar, Kg Tanjung Kubong, Kg Lubuk Temiang and nearby areas.

Kg Durian Tunjung, Penghulu Tuah, Kg Lajau, Kg Ganggarak, and Merinding are expected to be the last to get their water supply restored due to their locations at the end of the water distribution system.

--BERNAMA