SYNOPSIS
Malaysia average water usage is 232 litres per capita per day and there is a plan to reduce the usage to 180 litres per capita per day by 2020. Water is a necessity and the high level of usage comes from many areas, some of which are beyond the control of the Engineering professionals. However Engineers should ensure that in their design works, the concept of water conservation should be given priority. Malaysians are used to cheap water rate and the water bill DOES NOT stands out among the many monthly bills. It would take a long while before their water wasteful habits can be changed. Non-Revenue Water (NRW) is an EXISTING occurrence is an issue to be handled by the authority and to a certain aspect it is beyond the control of Engineers. Engineers can play an important role in the conservation of TREATED water by apply effective measures in their design works from the source till consumed/used. Malaysia experience an annual rainfall between 2,300mm to 3,000mm and Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) has been promoted extensively and the Uniform Building By-Law 1984 was amended hence the implementation of Rainwater Harvesting and Utilization System (SPAH) at buildings. RWH system can be a very simplified system merely by applying basic Engineering principles and the rainwater collected should only be used for WC Flushing and Landscaping. Complicated studies need not be carried out, take a simple logic that if you could harvest 1,000 litres of rainwater and use it for WC Flushing and landscaping, you conserve 1,000 litres of treated water. The ability to duplicate it at   multiple locations, say 1,000, then 1,000,000 litres of treated has been conserved. In this respect, Engineers have this role to play. Conservation of TREATED water has not been emphasis in design of water usage, example Singapore CP48 advocates WC flush of 4.5litres/flush, SPAN UTG stipulates 6litres/flush, wonder any major difference of the waste to be flushed out. Imagine a saving of 1.5 litres per flush per day per capita if Engineers are to adopt this design!


ABOUT THE SPEAKER:

Ir. GARY LIM ENG HWA
BE(Mech.) NZ, Mgt Dip. FIEM, P.Eng, Asean Eng, APEC Eng

Currently,a council member and committee member of the Building Services Technical Division and member of the Fire Advisory Board of the Institution of Engineers, Malaysia. He has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand and a Management Diploma from New Zealand. He is a Professional Engineer registered with the Board of Engineers, Malaysia and a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers, Malaysia (IEM).