Frustration mounts in Lawas over unresolved water woes

Borneo Post

11-06-2025

Photo shows the low water-level at the Gelugus Water Treatment Plant's intake point, caused by hot weather and a breached retaining wall. – Photo by JBALB Sarawak
MIRI (June 11): Thousands of Lawas residents have expressed mounting frustration over an unresolved water supply disruption that has persisted since June 6, with many pointing out that such problems have plagued the district for years.
Social media has seen an outpouring of complaints from affected residents, who say they are fed up with the lack of consistent access to clean water.
Many described the crisis as not merely an inconvenience, but a daily hardship that disrupts basic routines like cooking, bathing and washing.
'The water supply problem in Lawas is nothing new. It has been going on for far too long,' one resident wrote in response to a post on Facebook page Lawaskini.
'As citizens, we are forced to come up with our own solutions. Hoping for government help feels like wishing for the moon — full of hope but no results.'
Another resident said that he although he rarely returns to Lawas, every time he sees this issue resurface online, it saddens him.
'It's hard to imagine life without sufficient water — even simple things like bathing, cooking, and washing become burdensome. Water is a basic necessity, not a luxury,' he said.
Another netizen echoed the sentiment saying that Lawas folks have been putting up with an unreliable water supply for years.
He claimed that every single month, without fail, there are water disruptions.
'Whether it's burst pipes, faulty machines, murky water, low river levels or floods — the list goes on. This isn't an occasional problem. It's a monthly occurrence. Pipes are bursting in Merapok, Punang, Trusan, and even Lawas itself,' he said.
The Facebook post has drawn 118 comments, 111 shares, and 451 reactions as of the time of writing.
In March this year, similar issue occurred where several areas — including Kampung Lintang, SK Lintang, Gelapas, Kampung Seberang Pekan Trusan, Long Suang, and settlements along the road to Ulu Sungai Trusan — were left without water for over a week.
Meanwhile, Ba Kelalan assemblyman Baru Bian, in a statement, pointed out that the primary cause of this disruption is the failure of three out of four pumps at the Trusan Water Treatment Plant, with the remaining pump operating at only 30 per cent of its usual capacity.
'These pumps are currently undergoing repairs in Miri. Compounding the issue, the water level at Trusan River, the source for the reservoir, is critically low,' he added.
To mitigate the issue, Baru called the JBALB to coordinate with other government agencies, such as the Fire and Rescue department (Bomba) and Sarawak Water Board Sdn Bhd to borrow additional water trucks to ensure adequate water distribution.
Additionally, he also called on the authorities to supply mineral water to the affected households to meet urgent needs for drinking and cooking. Baru Bian Lawas lead water disruption