Kampung Suang Duyung WASH Project
2021-07-16
Access to clean water for Kg Suang Duyung villagers has been limited for many years. The arrival of timber barons in Borneo in the 1990s greatly impacted communities surrounding and within Pitas’ forests, and the crystal-clear rivers once used by many turned murky due and eventually dried up. The uncontrolled logging which took place decades ago permanently destroyed the water sources for many villages, one of those being Kg. Suang Duyung. Other water sources available to this village were often found to be contaminated or inadequate.
Finding a solution to this water issue was not easy. The land was too flat for constructing a gravity water system (GWS), and contamination in existing ponds ruled out a central water distribution source. Additionally, tube water wells were found to be unfeasible and commissioned geologists said groundwater resources in the area were ill-suited to the purpose. Finally, a report from the Meteorology Department prompted the corporate partnership to create a rain harvesting system in all of the homes instead. The project came to fruition through the collaboration of Persatuan Bantuan Perubatan Malaysia (Mercy Malaysia), United Motor Works (UMW) and Gerak Saga Sdn Bhd.
The system installed in each home included two 400-gallon storage tanks, allowing the water to last for up to three weeks with the estimated average use of 20 liters per day per household. Additionally, the corporate partnership also set up a communal water system with ten 5,000-gallon tanks benefitting over 500 hundred residents in the village and the villages surrounding it.
The project was completed in December 2019 and a ceremony was held marking the end of the village’s challenges in searching for a clean water supply. Gerak Saga is proud to be part of such a wonderful project and hopes that it benefits the community in Kg. Suang Duyung for years to come.
