Over 10,000 Labuan residents face six-day water crisis as landslides damage major pipelines

LABUAN, Jan 14 — Several villages and residential areas here, affecting over 10,000 consumers, have faced continuous water supply disruptions since 9 January, just before the start of the school term.

The outage has posed a particular challenge for parents with school-age children, with many households queuing at water tankers with basins and containers to collect their daily supply.

Some residents have resorted to purchasing bottled water for bathing, cooking and drinking.

In a statement on Jan 8, the Labuan Water Department said the disruption was caused by earth movement on a slope at Bukit Besar, which forced apart both the inlet and outlet 800-millimetre pipes, causing major leaks.

In an update on Jan 10, the department reported that repair works were suspended due to persistent rainfall and landslides, and would resume only when the weather permitted.

The situation was compounded by a second pipe failure on Jan 13 at Pulau Buah, affecting the raw water supply.

As of 6.50 am today, repairs at the site were 65 per cent complete, with progress slowed by continued bad weather.

In response to the prolonged crisis, the Labuan Water Department and Labuan Corporation have deployed water tankers to affected areas.

The department added that it is closely monitoring the situation and will provide further updates, urging consumers to conserve water until full supply is restored. — Bernama