Perlis: The National Water Services Commission (SPAN) revealed that 8,520 septic tank desludging notices were issued to domestic premise owners in Perlis throughout last year, yet public compliance remains critically low.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, SPAN Operations Division Enforcement Section Director, Ainal Yusman Mohamad Yusop, stated that out of the total notices, only 302 domestic owners, or approximately 3.5 percent, carried out the septic tank emptying works. He noted that despite Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) actively conducting engagement programs with residents, village chiefs, State Executive Councillors, elected representatives, and non-governmental organizations, public awareness is still very low. He shared these insights during a press conference following a Surprise Enforcement Operation (Ops Haruman).
The three-day operation, which commenced yesterday, involved inspections of 205 premises around Kangar. The inspections targeted 74 commercial premises and 131 domestic premises identified as having failed to conduct scheduled septic tank desludging. Ainal Yusman mentioned that some homeowners confessed to never having emptied their septic tanks since moving into their homes in the 1980s.
He emphasized that many people mistakenly believe their sewerage system is functioning properly as long as the toilet isn't clogged. However, an unmaintained septic tank can lose its capacity to treat wastewater effectively. This neglect can lead to untreated wastewater overflowing into drains, polluting water sources, emitting foul odors, and causing a nuisance to neighbors.
In the commercial sector, Ainal Yusman reported that only 22 premises, or 1.8 percent of the 1,209 notices issued last year, complied with the desludging process for their septic tanks. He highlighted that under Regulation 2(1) of the Water Services Industry (Desludging Services) (Amendment) Regulations 2023, septic tank desludging must occur once every two years for premises within local authority areas and once every three years for those outside.
He warned that septic tank owners who fail to maintain their sewerage systems and do not appoint a licensed service to perform desludging could face penalties under Section 65(1)(c) of the Water Services Industry Act 2006 (Act 655). Convicted premise owners may face fines up to RM50,000.
Ainal Yusman added that, to date, a total of 20,063 individual septic tanks have been recorded in Perlis, while more than 1.38 million individual septic tanks were documented across Peninsular Malaysia and Labuan as of last year.