Water quality evaluation at Trusan Regional water treatment plant, Lawas, Sarawak

Abstract

Lawas community mostly depends on the treated water supply from Trusan Regional water treatment plant (WTP) for daily activities. However, rural areas are still not fully covered within the treated water supply grid due to remote access. Therefore, it is significant to have a safe, reliable water supply for all communities to fulfil their basic survival needs. Thus, it is necessary to maintain the quality of the treated water supply. The present study attempts to evaluate the water quality supplied by the Trusan Regional WTP, Lawas, by analyzing the daily water quality data for 2021 and the first quarter of 2022 (January to April). Data were taken using the SCADA system, and the reading of water quality was detected and recorded automatically in the Daily Report on Water Quality book by the WTP operators. Based on Water Quality Index (WQI), the raw and treated water is recorded and analyzed based on five standard water parameters, which are pH (6.5–9.0), Turbidity (5 NTU), Colour (15 TCU), Residual Chlorine (0.2–5 PPM), and Residual Alum (0.2 PPM). The result shows that the quality of the water supply at Trusan Regional WTP is adequate, and the parameters have met the allowable WQI value.