AKSESIBILITI BEKALAN AIR TERAWAT DAN CABARAN SEKURITI AIR DI PULAU SEBATIK, MALAYSIA

Accessibility of Water Treatment Supply and Water Security Challenges in the Sebatik Island, Malaysia

Abstract

Akses terhadap sumber air merupakan satu keperluan bagi setiap manusia. Bekalan air bersih terawat menjadi agenda penting negara seperti yang dinyatakan dalam Dasar Sumber Air Negara (2012). Pulau Sebatik yang dimiliki oleh Malaysia telah memiliki sistem bekalan air paip tersendiri yang diperoleh daripada Loji Rawatan Air (LRA) Wallace Bay yang terletak di bahagian barat. Walaupun jaringan paip telah meliputi sehingga Rancangan Bergosong yang terletak di bahagian tengah pulau, tetapi masyarakat masih tidak mendapat bekalan air yang mampan. Oleh itu, kajian ini cuba melihat tahap sekuriti air dalam konteks capaian bekalan air terawat di Pulau Sebatik. Bagi mencapai objektif kajian, soal selidik dan temu bual telah dijalankan. Data-data soal selidik dianalisis menggunakan analisis jadual silang dalam Microsoft Excel. Di samping itu, sumber temu bual digunakan untuk menyokong dapatan soal selidik melalui analisis kata demi kata berpandukan kolektif memori responden. Umumnya, kemampuan masyarakat untuk menikmati bekalan air paip yang efisien di pulau ini masih berada pada tahap yang rendah. Penduduk sering menghadapi catuan bekalan air, terutama di kawasan jauh daripada LRA seperti Kampung Sungai Tongkang (76.5 peratus) dan Kampung Bergosong (78.0 peratus), berbanding Kampung Wallace Bay (28.4 peratus) yang terletak dekat dengan LRA. Lebih 50 peratus penduduk yang menghadapi catuan sering menghadapi masalah bekalan air antara tiga hingga lima hari dalam seminggu. Selain catuan, penduduk Sebatik tidak selesa dengan tahap kualiti air, iaitu lebih 50 peratus berpendapat air paip terasa klorin (54.7 peratus), payau (3.1 peratus) dan kadang-kadang keruh (21.1 peratus). Lantaran itu, para penduduk terpaksa bergantung dengan air hujan dan telaga sebagai alternatif untuk kegunaan harian utama. Dapatan ini diharapkan menjadi panduan kepada masyarakat di kawasan lain agar mampu memberikan reaksi dengan masalah bekalan air agar berupaya beradaptasi dengan masalah yang dihadapi.

Access to water resources is a necessity for every human being. No matter where the location is, clean water supply is an important to our agenda as stated in the National Water Resources Policy (2012). Sebatik Island owned by Malaysia has its own piped water supply system obtained from the Wallace Bay Water Treatment Plant (LRA) which is located in the western part. Although the pipeline has covered up to Rancangan Bergosong in the central area, but the island community still do not have sustainable of water supply. Therefore, this study attempts to look at the problems faced by the community in Sebatik Island in the context of access to tap water supply. Therefore, this study has analysed the water security accessibility of treated water supply in Sebatik Island. To achieve the objectives, questionnaires and interviews were conducted. Questionnaire data were analysed using crosstabulation analysis using Microsoft Excel. In addition, the interviews are used to support the findings of the questionnaire through the analysis of verbatim guided by the collective memory of respondents. In general, the ability of the community to enjoy an efficient supply of tap water on the island is still at a low level. Residents often face water supply rationing, especially in areas far from the LRA such as Kampung Sungai Tongkang (76.5 per cent) and Kampung Bergosong (78.0 per cent) compared to Kampung Wallace Bay (28.4 per cent) closer to the LRA. More than 50 per cent of the population who suffer from water rationing, often face water supply problems between three to five days a week. In addition to water rationing problems, Sebatik residents feel uncomfortable with the water quality level where more than 50 per cent said tap water contains excess chlorine (54.7 pe cent) and brackish taste (3.1 per cent) and sometimes turbid (21.1 per cent). As a result, residents have to rely on rainwater and wells as an alternative as the main daily water use. This finding is expected to be a guide to community in other areas in order to strive the water supply problem.