Crises call for clear messages

The Star

4 days ago

TAPS started going dry for almost 300,000 people soon after a flood knocked out six pumps at a water treatment plant in Kota Tinggi, Johor, on May 20.
This affected households and businesses in Johor Baru and Iskandar Puteri, where some endured almost four days without water.
The sudden disruption also resulted in countless losses for businesses and factories as major industrial parks were hit too.
People also began panic-buying bottled mineral water, fearing a prolonged disruption.
My home in Taman Desa Tebrau, Johor Baru, was affected in the early morning of May 21.
And like many others caught unaware, I thought it would just be a minor disruption.
Subsequently, people in various places reported that they did not have water.
There was also a text message circulating about the disruption affecting many places.
I only realised the extent of the disruption after I made some calls to water concessionaire Ranhill-SAJ and reported about this in The Star.
To be fair, Ranhill-SAJ wrote a short post on their social media platform to alert consumers about the disruption.
However, many upset consumers contacted local press offices and took to social media to express frustration over being unable to get through to Ranhill-SAJ's hotline or only receiving inadequate answers from call centre staff, especially regarding when water tankers would arrive in their housing areas and when the water supply would be restored.
Realising the severity of the issue, Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi spoke about the disruption on May 22 at the ongoing Johor state assembly and announced that a crisis meeting was being held with the water concessionaire.
On May 26, Onn Hafiz made a public apology to Johoreans at the assembly sitting and announced that those affected by the water disruption would receive a 15% rebate on their water bills this month.
Residents lining up to get water from a tanker near Perling market in Johor Baru during the recent unscheduled disruption. — Filepic
Since the crisis meeting, the authorities, especially the water concessionaire, have been providing regular updates about the progress of water treatment plant repairs, tanker schedules and how they are dealing with the crisis.
They explained that the disruption was due to a leak in the raw water pipe network at the water treatment plant in Sungai Johor.
They also acknowledged the inconvenience faced by consumers due to the disruption and thanked them for their patience and cooperation.
The authorities are also carrying out a detailed investigation into its cause and looking at all aspects to avoid a recurrence.
This sudden water cut showed everyone the importance of having proper crisis management during a major incident.
It is vital to keep consumers informed and to provide timely updates not just via social media, but also through mainstream media organisations, be it newspapers, television or radio, so that these outlets can disseminate information to their audiences.
The water concessionaire should also invest in a system for alerts about scheduled water cuts or sudden disruptions to be sent directly to the account holders' mobile phones via SMS, WhatsApp or even email.
I am sure Ranhill-SAJ, which has all the data on account holders statewide, will be able to target their messaging to only those in affected areas.
They should also consider conducting regular crisis exercises to ensure that everyone, especially those at the call centres, can provide accurate information during an emergency.
I have experienced being without water for long periods during the 1991 and 1992 water crisis in Melaka, when the state's Durian Tunggal dam dried up.
I remember waking up in the wee hours of the morning to wait for water tankers to arrive, as there were no smartphones or comprehensive messaging services to provide updates on tanker schedules.
I also remember helping elderly folk carry pails of water to their units on the fourth floor of their walk-up apartments.
It is always important for those in essential services such as water, electricity and telecommunications to update their crisis management manuals regularly to ensure preparedness.
These agencies should use technology to disseminate information because during a crisis, fake news or little information will cause frustration, confusion, panic and chaos.