Six tube wells to resolve water issue at UMS
KOTA KINABALU: The construction of six tube wells at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) has been completed and will serve as an alternative to address the issue of water supply disruption at the university, says Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Mustapha Sakmud (pic).

He said the construction of tube wells used an allocation of RM3mil from the Prime Minister’s Office and the Higher Education Ministry and admitted that the project was delayed due to some changes, especially in the design aspect.

“However, I would like to announce that all six tube wells are fully completed.

“I would also like to emphasise that this is only an alternative if the water source from the Sabah Water Department (JANS) experiences disruption.

“If the water supply from JANS is insufficient, then the tube wells will be used.

“The concept is similar to a generator. When the electricity supply is cut off, the generator will be used,” he told reporters after inspecting the UMS tube well project here yesterday.

Mustapha said the six tube wells are capable of producing up to one million litres of water a day, and several tanks have also been installed around the residences to store supplies.

He added that since January this year, UMS had received an average of three million litres of water per day (MLD) from JANS.

The supply has been steadily increasing to meet demand, from 2.9 MLD in March to 3.0 MLD last month.

However, despite these improvements, demand for water at UMS remains high, ranging between three and five MLD, which is necessary to support its population of around 20,000 people, including some 16,000 students.

Recently, there have been accusations on social media that the water department has not been sending supplies to UMS, resulting in students reportedly experiencing days without water.

A protest has been planned at the Chief Minister’s office in Menara Kinabalu on Friday.
Sabah & Sarawak,tube wells,Universiti Malaysia Sabah,Musta­pha Sakmud
KOTA KINABALU: The construction of six tube wells at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) has been completed and will serve as an alternative to address the issue of water supply disruption at the university, says Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Musta­pha Sakmud.