nakedeyeview.com.my 2007
It is most heartening to read (The Sun Valley, 6 Sept 03) that Perbadanan Urus Air Selangor (PUAS) has finally come out publicly against the illegal installation of water-vending machines in the Klang Valley because of the possibility of contamination of water distribution systems.
Though belated and selective, the decision by PUAS on this issue is a positive step in the fight direction.
The water-vending machines called "Water Shop Stations" are reported to have been installed on five-foot ways of shoplots and connected directly to the service pipe immediately after the water meters.
A service pipe is the incoming pipe connected from the water meter to the kitchen tap. This pipe is subject to water pressure from the public mains as it is directly connected to it.
As correctly stated by PUAS, because of the importance of protecting the public from contamination in case of back siphoning, all fittings and their installation to the service pipe require the approval of PUAS.
Water-vending machines are few in numbers compared to domestic water filters, which can run into tens of thousands in the Klang Valley and their number is increasing everyday by the hundreds.
If PUAS deems the installation of water-vending machines as illegal, what about all the domestic water filters, which are also connected directly to the service pipes under the eyes of PUAS' personnel?
These water filters, similarly installed, not only pose a danger to the health of the consumers themselves but also to many consumers who share the same distribution system.
The proliferation of domestic water filters in the Klang Valley has been highlighted in many letters published in local mass media, yet no known action has been taken by PUAS on this issue. One wonders what is happening in PUAS.