Sewage management and its relation to auto control simulation of river catchment

Water quality and sewage discharges have always been the favourite topic for general environmental discussion amongst environmentalist. Nevertheless, their common liquid states but with a difference in quality can lead to wide array of discussion for unlimited boundaries. This subject will no doubt have been creating an impact and interest amongst all the government and non-governmental bodies, we hope a common bond will unify towards the holistic understanding towards a united solution. Since the implementation of the privatisation of sewerage services in 1994, sewerage master plan has been systematically developed for most of the Local Authorities. With an objective towards a sustainable sewerage infrastructure, these master plans were implemented to assist Local Plan and Structural Plan development in Local Authority areas. Funding has plagued the proposed implementation programme that surfaced from these reports for long-term period. The immediate and short term programmes are being currently funded by the Ministry and to be implemented in stages for specific areas, which have been prioritised due to presence of water intake points down stream of the catchment. The domestic sewage treatment plants are being operated and maintained by IWK, the approved national sewerage concessionaire for public plants. Approximately 70% of the sewage treatment plants taken over by Sewerage Services Department (SSD) were in dilapidated state and non-functional either due to process failure or equipment breakdown. The domestic sewage load is only about 36% of pollutant load contributing into the watercourse in Malaysia. Everybody seem to be silent about those remaining 64% point discharges that are being contributed by private plants, individual septic tanks, industries market, agricultural fields, golf courses, hospitals, animal husbandry, abattoirs, etc. etc. In line with the general understanding and acceptance of our populace, it is becoming difficult to appreciate the good work of SSD in the development of policies and procedure for the sewerage industry and towards water quality improvement. The objective of this paper will be to deliver the development made for the sustainable sewerage system in Malaysia. Emphasis is made on the present condition of public plants that are being operated and maintained by IWK and to evaluate all the effluent quality samplings. Software is being used to simulate the strength of the various pollutants from these public plants with respect to dry and wet weather conditions and its impact on the river regime. This will enhance that domestic sewage is not the only polluting factor in the river regime.