Water Consumption In Brunei Highest In ASEAN Region

Bandar Seri Begawan – Water consumption in the Sultanate has increased by 91 per cent over a decade and will continue to increase and reach 485 litres per day by 2015.

Water consumption per capita in the country is the highest in the region about 450 litres a day per person.

This is compared to 200 litres per person in Malaysia and 168 litres per person in Singapore.

This was stated by Pehin Dato Dr Awang Haji Ahmad, Minister of Development, at the launching of the World Water Day 2005 yesterday.

In the past ten years, he said, the usage of water in the country increased from 177 million litres per day in 1991 up to 337 litres per day in 2001.

The Minister said that Brunei has allocated a sum of $394 million in the 8th National Development Plan for projects to upgrade water resources and supply.

This, he said, means that within the period of the 8th National Development Plan, Brunei managed to produce 580 million litres of clean water compared to only 400 million litres per day at the end of the 7th NDP.

Brunei estimates the need for about 485 million litres per day by 2015.

Among the ongoing projects and those to be implemented are the construction of dams, water treatment plants, water storage tanks and replacements of water pipes.

Studies will also be carried out to identify potential water sources for long-term development and appropriate steps will be taken to ensure that the supply sources will be permanent and not contaminated.

In December 2003, the United Nations General Assembly at its 58th session agreed to proclaim the period from 2005 to 2015 as the International Decade for Action, with the theme "Water For Life".

One of the main aims of celebrating World Water Day in Brunei is to join other countries around the world in together responding to the calls of the United Nations that have confirmed March 22 of every year as World Water Day.

In the first Water Decade from 1981 to 1990, over a billion people were able to have access to potable water supply and almost 770 million people in the world have adequate sanitation to protect their health.

As of today, there are still almost 1.1 billion people around the world, who have inadequate access to potable water and 2.4 billion without appropriate sanitation.

Globally. more than one billion people have been estimated to have no access to clean water and by 2025 the figure will increase up to 2.6 billion people.

In Brunei, millions of dollars have been spent on projects carried out by the Department of Water Services to construct and maintain water treatment plants, dams, pump stations, and water storage reservoirs.

The Department has also embarked on a water demand study, which will forecast future need for water.

As it heads towards ISO 9001 for its distribution, the department has also planned maintenance projects to help manage its asset inventories.

Other initiatives include replacing old pipes to reduce water leakages from broken pipes by promoting the usage of water saving devices.

The public is urged to use water wisely for future generations.

It is hoped that through the various activities being held for this year's World Water Day, public awareness will be raised on the vitality of water to protect our ecosystem so as to maintain continuous sourcing of water.

Among the activities held was competition in drawing, colouring and handicraft works, attracting the participation of more than 100 children and adults in five categories.

Pehin Dato Dr Awang Haji Ahmad also presented prizes to the winner of the World Water Day Art Attack.

The entries of this competition are being exhibited at the Public Works Department in Berakas.

The two-week exhibition, where the art pieces are also put for sale, is open to the public.

The collection from the sale will be contributed to the Tsunami Disaster Victims Fund. -- Courtesy of Radio Television Brunei

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