Clean water now just a tap away for island community

The Star

a day ago

SANDAKAN: Just a 10-minute boat ride from Sandakan, the small island of Pulau Berhala has finally received access to clean piped water for the first time.
Home to around 3,000 residents, the largely Bajau fishing community had for generations relied on underground well water, which was often cloudy, salty and had to be boiled before use.
Those who could afford it bought bottled mineral water for drinking while others simply made do.
But that is now changing.
A solar-powered nano-filtration system, the first of its kind in Sabah, is supplying the island with clean, treated water straight from the tap.
'We used well water for everything, from cooking to bathing, but had to buy bottled water for drinking,' said housewife Anna Robert, 25.
'If we didn't have money, we just drank the well water. Now, we can drink clean water straight from the tap. We're really grateful.'
The RM1.3mil system was developed by Jetama Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sabah Development Bhd.
It runs entirely on solar energy and filters groundwater to produce up to 45,000 litres of clean water daily, enough for 5,000 to 7,500 people, well beyond the island's population.
Village chief Junior Jikirin said the new system had already transformed daily life.
'People here are happy and comfortable. It started running on July 19 and the water is clean like mineral water,' he said.
Jetama Water executive director Liau Fui Fui said the project was designed specifically for remote communities like Pulau Berhala.
'This is a self-sustaining system that supplies clean water,' she said.
'We hope to install the remaining nine systems in areas that need them as soon as possible.'
She added that the company evaluated various models before choosing a system from China for its cost-efficiency and suitability for rural maintenance.
With the new solar filtration system installed and plans underway for solar-powered lighting in every home, residents say a long-awaited change has finally arrived.
'It might not seem like a big deal to others,' said Junior. 'But for us, it's life-changing.'