PROGRESS OF WATERENVIRONMENT GOVERNANCE INMALAYSIAANG SHIN YING
National Hydraulic Research Institute ofMalaysia (NAHRIM)
The 14th WEPA Annual Meeting
22 February 2019Tokyo1PRESENTATION OUTLINEINTRODUCTION
STATE OF RIVER WATER QUALITY IN MALAYSIADOMESTIC WASTEWATER MANAGEMENTINDUSTRIAL WASTEWATAER MANAGEMENTLEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK FOR WATERENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCEINSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR WATERENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCEWATER QUALITY MONITORING FRAMEWORKENFORCEMENT INSTRUMENTS FOR WATERENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENTFUTURE TARGETS, ISSUES AND CHALLENGES2INTRODUCTION• Water resources in Malaysia – rivers, lakes,
groundwater• Annual rainfall around 3000mm• Some 200 river systems(2017)• Water pollution – population growth,urbanization, land clearing, increase ofcommercial area, industrial effluent discharge,
agricultural activities• Standards/ Criteria related to WQ in Malaysia:• National Water Quality Standards for Malaysia,
Water Quality Index (WQI) – River• National Lake Water Quality Standards (NLWQS)• Marine Water Quality Standard and Criteria forMalaysia, Marine Water Quality Index• National Drinking Water Quality Standards

3TREND OF THE RIVER WATER QUALITY STATUS
IN MALAYSIA (2008 – 2017)
100579577

600

570

80464

7060

595853477477

5858477477

51400514743383634500

585040477

477

32300

3936344643

3530200

20
1013892008

2009

108862011

2012

2013

7101120162017

0Total Number of River

Percentage Number of River (%)

90700

10002010

2014

2015

YearClean

Slightly Polluted

Polluted

Total Number of River2017: Total rivers: 477 rivers; Total samples: 5,897 samples; Total manual monitoring stations: 891;
801 ambient & baseline stations, 55 upstream water intakes station, 35 stations for ROL project
Clean: 219 rivers (46%); Slightly polluted: 207 rivers (43%); Polluted: 51 rivers (11%)

4CLASSIFICATION OF THE RIVER WATERQUALITY IN MALAYSIA 201726
Class IV
5.45%

1Class V
10.21% Class I
0.21%

144
Class III30.19%

305
Class II
63.94%

Total number ofriver = 477 rivers
Source: DOE EQR 2017

5

MAJOR POLLUTANTS IN RIVERS AND ITS
SOURCES• Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)• Sources: Sewage, agro-based, manufacturingindustries• Ammoniacal Nitrogen (AN)• Sources: Animal farming, domestic sewage• Suspended Solids (SS)• Sources: Earthworks, land clearing activities

6TREND OF THE RIVER WATER QUALITY STATUS
BASED ON BOD SUB-INDEX (2008 – 2017)
100

579

577

600

570

464

80

477

477

70
60

76.7
57.3
53.3

50

20

70.4
400

58.9

56.6

35.8

33.2

29.6

26.8

26.3

200

22.9
18.2

17.8

84.7

500

300

32.4
26.9

477

40.7

37.0

40

73.2

477

44.7

41.2

30

477

477

Total Number of River

Percentage Number of River (%)

90

15.3
9.5

10

100

7.5
0.40.42013

2014

002008

200920102011

201220152016

2017

YearClean

Slightly Polluted

Polluted

Total Number of River

Source of pollution: sewage, agro-based, manufacturing industries
Pollution indicator: Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)7

TREND OF THE RIVER WATER QUALITY STATUS
BASED ON AN SUB-INDEX (2008 – 2017)
579

577

Percentage Number of River (%)

60

50

600

570

477

477

464

477

477

477

477

49

500

4945

400

4239

4030

28
24

3836322938363831 31

262736343632

2933

2932

29

20300

2431

18200

Total Number of River

70

100

1000200820092010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

YearClean

Slightly Polluted

Polluted

Total Number of River

Source of pollution: Animal farming, domestic sewage
Pollution indicator: Ammoniacal Nitrogen (NH3-N)

8

TREND OF THE RIVER WATER QUALITY STATUS
BASED ON SS SUB-INDEX (2008 – 2017)
100

579

577

600

570

80
70

477

477

464

72

63

74

477

477

477

78

79
400
51

505040300

463532200

2730272220500

625960477

18171421151513

10Total Number of River

Percentage Number of River (%)

90131222101012100

1710002008200920102011201220132014201520162017YearClean

Slightly Polluted

Polluted

Total Number of River

Source of pollution: Earthworks, land clearing activities
Pollution indicator: Suspended Solids (SS)9

WATER POLLUTION LOAD
• 5 major type of water pollution sources• Manufacturing industries, agricultural industries,
sewage treatment plant, piggery and wet market• 3 prime parameters with high impact to thewater body:• Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)• Suspended Solids (SS)• Ammoniacal Nitrogen (AN/ NH3-N)

10

BOD LOAD BY WATER POLLUTION SOURCES IN
2017
11 tonnes/ dayAgro-based Industries
2%210 tonnes/ dayPiggery
39%

6 tonnes/ day
Wet Market
1%

50 tonnes/ day
Manufacturing
Industries
9%

Total: 545
tonnes/ day

268 tonnes/ day
Sewage49%

Source: DOE EQR 201711

SS LOAD BY WATER POLLUTION SOURCES IN 2017

26 tonnes/ dayAgro-based Industries
3%

437 tonnes/ day
Piggery48%

8 tonnes/ day
Wet Market
1%

83 tonnes/ day
Manufacturing
Industries
9%

Total: 909
tonnes/ day

355 tonnes/ day
Sewage39%

Source: DOE EQR 201712

AN/ NH3-N LOAD BY WATER POLLUTION SOURCES IN2017

8 tonnes/ dayAgro-based Industries
3.5%

0.3 tonnes/ day
Wet Market
0.1%

5 tonnes/ day
ManufacturingIndustries
2.2%

26 tonnes/ day
Piggery
11.3%

Total: 229.3tonnes/ day

190 tonnes/ day
Sewage82.9%

Source: DOE EQR 201713DOMESTIC WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT-SEWERAGE STATISTICTYPE OF SERVICES AND APPLICATION
Type of Services

Units (PE)OFF-SITE TREATMENT
Multipoint

10,373 (20,487,766)

Centralized (Regional)

101 (8,132,260)

ON-SITE TREATMENT
Individual Septic Tank

1,354,986 (6,547,041)

Communal Septic Tank (CST)

4,359 (531,127)

Small Sewage Treatment System(SSTS)124,001 (240,000)

Cess Pit (Pour Flush)

1,171,555 (5,857,775)

Source: Malaysia Water Industry Guide 2017
Note: 1. Estimate installation of SSTS since year 2008
1 PE = 0.225m3

14

DOMESTIC WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT-COMPLIANCE WITH EFFLUENT STANDARD-

 Total Public STPs in December 2017 (exclude East Malaysia): 6,687 unit
 Total samples taken and analyzed: 81,859 samples (2017)
Source: SPAN Water Services Industry Performance Report 201715

SEWAGE POLLUTANT LOADS IN DISCHARGED
EFFLUENTS (2011 – 2013)

Source: Indah Water Konsortium Sustainability Report 2012-201316INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT-COMPLIANCE STATUS OF INDUSTRY-YEAR

INDUSTRIAL EFFLUENTREGULATIONSSCHEDULED WASTEREGULATIONS

No. ofInspections

Compliance(%)

No. ofInspections

Compliance
(%)

2014

11,41099

13,044

99

2013

7,201

99

8,475

99

2012

6,590

98

7,297

97

Industry

Action

2015

2016

2017

2018

Palm Oil
Factory

Court

62

17

133

Notices

261

187

177

181

Court

4101

Notices

24122222NaturalRubber
Factory

17LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK TO CONTROL WATERPOLLUTION
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT 1974

PlanningStage

DesignStage

Operation
Stage

Waste
Generation

Waste
Disposal

EQA
Coverage

18

REGULATIONS UNDER EQA 1974 FOR
WATER ENVIRONMENT

Source: Majid (2015)19

WATER SERVICES INDUSTRY ACT (WSIA) 2006
[ACT 655]
 An Act to provide for and regulate water supply
services and sewerage services
 Objective : to establish a licensing and regulatory
framework for regulatory intervention to promotenational policy objectives for the industry.
 Does not affect general applications of existing lawson environment quality and land matters and existing
State powers on water source.
 Approved in Parliament in June 2006
and gazetted on 20th July 2006
 Came into force on 1st January 2008

20

INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR WATERENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE
National Water Council

Ministry ofWater, Land
and NaturalResources

Ministry ofEnergy, Science,
Technology,
Environment andClimate Change

Ministry ofWater, Land
and Natural
Resources

Source: Adapted from Abidin (2015)

21

INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR WATERENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE
INSTITUTION/ AGENCYRESPONSIBILITYDESCRIPTION

Federal Government (Ministry ofWater, Land and Natural Resources(formerly know as Ministry of Natural
Resources and Environment), Ministryof Energy, Science, Technology,Environment and Climate Change,other related ministries)

Policy matters

Development of a holistic
water policy for the country by
setting policy directions

State Government (e.g. Forestry
Department, Town and Planning
Department, Water Supply
Department and other related
agencies)

Raw water and landdevelopment matters

Regulate raw water
abstraction and catchment
management

National Water Council (formerly
known as National Water ResourceCouncil)

Water matters –cross boundaries/
inter-stated/ issue ofnational interest

Ensures coordination between
Federal Government andvarious State Government inwater planning anddevelopmentNational Water Services Commission

Regulatory matters(Water Services
Industry Act 2006 as
legal instrument

Regulate the water services
industry (water and sewerageservices)

22

INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR WATERENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE-Governance Structure of Sewerage Services-

Ministry of Water,
Land and Natural
Resources
Sewerage
Services
Department

Ministry of Energy, Science,Technology, Environment
and Climate change

23

WATER QUALITY MONITORING FRAMEWORK

River-Total rivers: 477 rivers-Total monitoring station:
891 stations-Ambient & baseline station:
801 stations-Upstream of water intakes:
55 stations-River of Life (ROL) project:35 stations-Water Quality Index (WQI) –used to indicate the level ofpollution-National Water Quality
Standards of Malaysia(NWQS) – Suitability in termsof water uses
-6 parameters: DO, BOD,COD, AN, SS, pH

Water Quality
Monitoring

DEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENT(DOE)

Marine &Island

Groundwater-Monitoring since 1978
(Peninsular Malaysia)-Sabah & Sarawak (1985)-Objectives: to establish
marine WQ status andpollution level from land-based
and sea-based sources-Coastal: 188 stations-Estuary: 88 stations-Island: 95 stations-Marine Water Quality Index(Excellent to Poor)-Marine Water Quality Criteria
and Standard-7 parameters: DO, Nitrate(NO3), Phosphate (PO4),
Unionized Ammonia (NH3),
Faecal Coliform, Oil & Grease(O&G), TSS-Monitoring program established in1997-Total: 110 tube wells-Monitoring based on specific land
uses:
Agricultural (13), Urban &Suburban (12), Industrial Sites (19),Solid Waste Landfills (23), Golf
Courses (7), Rural Areas (4), Exmining Area (Gold Mine) (3),Municipal Water Supply (6), Animal
Burial Areas (14), AquacultureFarms (7), Radioactive Landfill (1)and Resort (1)-National Guidelines for Drinking
WQ (Revised December 2000)-VOCs, pesticides, heavy metals,anions, coliform, phenolic
compounds, total hardness, TDS,pH, Temperature, conductivity &DO

24

ENFORCEMENT & COMPLIANCE MANAGEMENTBy Department ofEnvironment (DOE)25

ENFORCEMENT & COMPLIANCE MANAGEMENTBy Department ofEnvironment (DOE)

26

EQ
Industrial
Effluent
2009

SelfRegulatory
Mechanism

IE 2009 Section 7:
Monitoring effluent
discharge – submit
monitoring records
monthly (30 days fromprevious month)

IE 2009 Section 32:
Penalty – If convicted,maximum penalty of RM
100,000 or/ and maximum
5 years jail

ENFORCEMENTSTRATEGIESIE 2009 Section 9:
Performance Monitoring ofIETS – based on GuidanceDocument on Performance
Monitoring of Industrial
Effluent Treatment System

 Performance monitoring of IETS Competent person to operate IETS Online reporting
 eSWIS - Electronic scheduled waste information
system (Hazardous waste)
 OER – online environmental reporting (effluentdischarge)
 Notification and Registration of Environmentally
Hazardous Substances – EHSNR (chemicals)

27

WAY FORWARD
National Water Policy• Under development (2018 – present) by Ministryof Water, Land and Natural Resources• Formerly was National Water Resources Policy

Marine Water Quality
Standard and Criteria forMalaysia• Revised by Department of Environment in 2018

National Water Quality
Standard for Malaysia andWater Quality Index (WQI)• Proposed revision of National Water Quality Standardsof Malaysia and Water Quality Index in 2019 by DOE• Determine the suitable parameter e.g. physical,
chemical, biological, nutrient and emerging pollutants

Palm Oil Effluent
Discharge Standard• Proposed stage to revise the effluent discharge
standard into water ways and land
• Not executed yet• Proposed stage to revise the effluent discharge

Rubber Effluent Discharge standardsStandard• Not executed yet28

REFERENCES
1.

Abidin, N.A.Z. (2015). Holistic Management of Water Resources Management in Malaysia. Borneo Water &Wastewater Exhibition and Conference 14-16 December 2015.
https://www.mwa.org.my/pdf/bwwe2015/keynote/Keynote%201%20-%20Hj.%20Noor%20Azahari.pdf

2.

Abdul Rahman, Z. (2015). The State of Our Rivers: Social ad Enforcement Issues and Challenges – Case Studyof Rivers in Selangor. Water Malaysia (WM 2015), Kuala Lumpur. 2224 April 2015.
https://www.mwa.org.my/pdf/wm2015/d1/405%2011001120%20Zulkifli%20%20abdul%20Rahman%20SLIDES_Water%20Conference-zar-21%20April%202015.pdf

3.

DOE. Environmental Quality Report 2017. Malaysia.

4.

Ithnin, I. (2015). Malaysia Industrial Pollution Prevention and Control Policies and Laws. Regional Forum on
Environmental Compliance in Industrial Sector 24-25 September 2015.
www.aecen.org/sites/default/files/country_report_malaysia.pdf

5.

IWK. IWK Sustainability Report 2012-2013.

6.

Mahyudin, M.R. (2018). Current Situation and Issue of Septage Management in Malaysia. 6th InternationalWorkshop on Decentralized Domestic Wastewater Treatment in Asia, Tokyo. 11 October 2018.
http://www.jeces.or.jp/spread/2018_MOE_WS/06_Malaysia.pdf.

7.

Majid, M.A. (2016). Water Pollution Control and Enforcement Status and Challenges in Malaysia. Strategies andPractices for Water Pollution Enforcement Workshop, Taipei, R.O.C. (Taiwan) 8-10 November 2016.
https://www.aecen.org/sites/default/files/panel_4.2_mr._mokthar_abdul_majid_malaysiaa.pdf

8.

SPAN. (2016). On-site Sewage Treatment Facilities in Malaysia. https://www.jeces.or.jp/spread/pdf/h26ws09.pdf

9.

Tan, K.W., Mokhtar, M. & Hossain, M.A.A. (2012). Institutional Concerns towards Integrated Water Resources
Management in Malaysia. In Gamini Herath (2012). Institutional Aspects of Water Management: Evaluating theExperience. Nova Science Publishers, Inc. pp. 109 – 127.

10. Wan Abdullah, W.A.R. (2011). An Overview of Sewerage Management in Malaysia. http://www.wepadb.net/pdf/1203forum/20.pdf

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