Mohd Roslee Mahyudin

NATIONAL WATER SERVICES COMMISSION
MALAYSIA101

04

Decentralized Domestic Wastewater Treatment in Malaysia

02

Standardization & Certification of On-Site Domestic
Wastewater Treatment System

03

Septage Management of On-Site Domestic Wastewater
Treatment System

Challenges & Way Forward

2

EVOLUTION OF SANITATION IN MALAYSIA
Prior to 1950-s TECHNOLOGY

Early Days inMalaya

Pour Flush

Septic Tank

Imhoff Tank

1950-s1960-s1970-sOP/AL

1980-sActivated Sludge/ Fully Mechanised
Biological Filters
Plant

1990-s2000

YEAR

Primitive / Primary Treatment

Partial / Full Secondary TreatmentFuture TertiaryTreatment(Address Public Health)(Address River Pollution)(Address Environment)3

Decentralized
Domestic
Wastewater
Treatment

4

DECENTRALIZED (ON-SITE) TREATMENT SYSTEM
On –site treatment systems designed to treat and dispose ofeffluent from single premise and/or single ownershipdevelopment with total capacity less than 150 PE (33.75m3)

On-site1,024* nos (82,789 PE)
Small Sewage Treatment System

1,154,592 nos (5,772,960 PE)
Cess pit (Obsolete)• Estimate installation of SSTS since year 2008
1 PE = 0.225m3

1,343,439 nos (6,859,823 PE)

4,386 nos (532, 076 PE)

Individual Septic Tank

Communal Septic Tank (Obsolete)

5PLANNING ASPECT OF INDIVIDUAL SEPTIC TANKSingle Development Up To 30 Units
Or 150PE In Total••

Septic tanks regarded as temporary
treatment system
Owner of system shall provide thefollowing•
150mm by-pass pipe from lastinspection chamber before septictank•By pass pipe extended it to thedrain outside the premises•The pipe shall be end capped forfuture connection

IndividualDevelopment
Outside The
Local Authority
Areas

Owners must becompelled to adhere
to rules andrequirement• Product must be approved by SPAN
• Complying with determined effluent standard• Trenches to be provided for final effluentdischarge• Raised soak away shall be provided if water table
is high• Desludging activities must be provided byregistered desludging contractor

All soak away shall belocated 5m downstream ofwells for domestic
consumption
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INDIVIDUAL SEPTIC TANKLIMITATIONPERFORMANCEMEASUREMENT

Limitation inproviding primary
treatment

Treatment
performance isinconsistent tomeet the required
standardsPerformance issubjected toretention which isaffected byquantity of settled
solids whichaccumulated overtime

EFFLUENTQUALITY

MAINTENANCE
OF THE SYSTEM

Design for
effluent discharge
downstream ofwater intake
pointsDesign shall allow
regular desludging

Average effluent
quality• BOD : 50 mg/l
• Suspended Solid: 100 mg/

Desludging shallbe at least oncevery 3 years.

7

SMALL SEWAGE TREATMENT SYSTEMDESIGN CAPACITY For 31 – 149 PE

TREATMENT PRINCIPLES:(6.975 – 33.525 m3/day)

Limited todevelopmentwith small
population
sizeAdditional
aerationprocess atthe secondtank forremoval ofBOD

Provideonly apartialtreatment

Low energy
consumption

The functionof key
components
does notrequire
intensive
energy andtechnicalability for
operation

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SMALL SEWAGE TREATMENT SYSTEM

Diagram : Schematic Diagram of SSTS

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Standardization &Certification of OnSite Domestic
Wastewater
Treatment

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OBJECTIVE OF STANDARDIZATION

Service Licensee/
Operator
Performance &Durability

Facility Licensee
Quality & Need forthe Industry

Certification Bodies
Compliance to Specifications
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PROVISION OF LAWWATER SERVICES INDUSTRY ACT 2006

• Plans and specifications for theconstruction of sewerage systems
and septic tanks require theapproval of the Commission• The Commission may make suchrules to provide for the minimum
standards and specifications
which shall be used in the design,
construction, installation,
protection, operation andmaintenance of any water supply
system or sewerage system
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STANDARDS & GUIDELINES FOR ON-SITE WASTEWATERTREATMENTMALAYSIAN SEWERAGE INDUSTRY GUIDELINES VOL. 5 –SEPTIC TANKS• 3rd Edition January 2009
• Published by SPAN

MALAYSIAN STANDARD ON SITE TREATMENT UNITS PART 1 :PREFABRICATED SEPTIC TANKS SPECIFICATIONS• Publish on June 2012

MALAYSIAN STANDARD ON SITE TREATMENT UNITS PART 2 :PACKAGED PREFABRICATED SMALL SEWAGE TREATMENTSYSTEM SPECIFICATIONS• Publish on June 201413

MALAYSIAN SEWERAGE INDUSTRY GUIDELINES VOL. V
SEPTIC TANKSPURPOSE• To set up the requirements of SPAN for design andconstruction of Individual Septic Tank

APPLICATION• Development with population equivalent size up to150 PE• For single development shall not more than 30 PE14

CONTENTSGENERALGUIDELINES• Initial consultation• Condition where public sewer
available and not available• Homestead Developments

DESIGN GUIDE• Planning• Design• Non-proprietary systems• Proprietary systems

SEPTIC TANKLOCATED INSENSITIVE
RECEIVING
WATERCOURSE• Further treatment methods forachieving higher effluent quality• Disinfection
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MS 2441-1:2012
ON SITE SEWAGE TREATMENT UNITS – PART 1 :PREFABRICATED SEPTIC TANKS SPECIFICATION
SCOPE• Requirement for prefabricated septic tanks andtheir associated fittings• Treatment of sewage for up to 30 PE• Installed below ground level• Serve one premise only
• Two materials covered, FRP & PE
• Intended for use by consultants, designers,manufacturers, certifying bodies, installers,regulators and other interested parties

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MAJOR SPECIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

Capacity

Openings

Anchorage

Partitions

Inlet &Outlet
Fittings

Flow Path

Filter MediaMarkingThickness
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STANDARDS & OTHER REFERENCES
AS/NZS 1546 : 2008 - On-site domestic wastewater treatment units Part 1:
Septic Tanks
EN 12566: 2007 - Small wastewater treatment systems for up 50 PT Part 1:
Prefabricated Tank
CAN/ CSA B66 : 2005 - Design, material and manufacturing requirementsfor prefabricated septic tanks and sewage holding tanks



Malaysian Sewerage Industry Guidelines, Volume 5 - Septic Tanks



Water Services Industry Act 2006

Water Services Industry (Desludging and Septage Discharge) Regulations
2008 [Draft]
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ON SITE SEWAGE TREATMENT UNITS – PART 2 : 2014,
PACKAGED PREFABRICATED SMALL SEWAGE TREATMENT
PLANT SPECIFICATIONS
SCOPE• Requirement for packaged prefabricated small
sewage treatment system (SSTS) and theirassociated fittings• Designed for sewage flow of 31 up to 149 PE• Installed below ground level• No vehicle load and not installed in high watertable area
• Two materials covered, FRP & PE
• Off-site assembled• Intended for use by consultants, designers,manufacturers, certifying bodies, installers,regulators and other interested parties
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MAJOR SPECIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

Capacity

Openings

Anchorage

Partitions

Inlet &Outlet
Fittings

Treatment
Efficiency

Filter MediaMarkingThickness

20

STANDARDS & OTHER REFERENCES
MS 1225-2:2006, Polyethylene (PE) tanks for cold water storage - Part 1: Capacity more up to600 gal (first revision)
AS/NZS 1546.1: 2008, On-site domestic wastewater treatment units - Part 1: Septic tanksAS/NZS 1546.3: 2008, On-site domestic wastewater treatment units - Part 3: Aerated
wastewater treatment systems
BS EN 12566-3+A1: 2009, Small wastewater treatment systems for up 50 PT - Part 3:
Packaged and/or site assembled domestic wastewater treatment plants
CAN/ CSA B66: 2005, Design, material and manufacturing requirements for prefabricatedseptic tanks and sewage holding tanks
 Malaysian Sewerage Industry Guidelines, Volume 5 - Septic Tanks
 Water Services Industry Act 2006
 Water Services Industry (Desludging and Septage Discharge) Regulations 2008 [Draft]21

SeptageManagement of
On-Site Domestic
Wastewater
Treatment System22

PROVISION OF LAWWATER SERVICES INDUSTRY ACT 2006
Sec 44 (1) –Obligation ofservice
licensee todesludge
septic tanks asprescribed

Sec 65 (1) …Service
licensee or permit
holder must be given
access for the
purpose of servicing
and desludging

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PROVISON OF LAW

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DESLUDGING COMPONENT
Service Licensee or Permit Holder

Desludging

Treatment

ST owner callService Licensee orPermit Holder

Disposal
Disposal
Site (Landfill)

Sludge Lagoon

Trenching

Drying Beds

Geo-tube

MechanicalDewatering Unit
(MDU)Centralised Sludge
Treatment Facility

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EXISTING DESLUDGING CHARGES

Charges:Required for services
rendered• Executed upon premise owner’s
request• No official agreement between
IWK and the premise owner• Under the abolished
Sewerage Services
Act 1993,
desludging works isrequired to be
performed once inevery 24 months (2years)

RM 6 / per monthby IWKRM 6/ per month @RM6 x 24 months= RM144

RM 6/ per monthincludes sludge
disposal charges
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DRAFT RULE PENDING TO BE APPROVED & GAZETTED

Charges fordesludging
services• Desludging based on request• At least once every 3 years (baseon the design specification)

RM 230 ( for permit E holders)• For septic tanks with volume up to 2 m3
RM 300 (for service licensee - IWK)
• For septic tank with volume up to 2 m3 (allowed payment in instalment)
RM 115/m3• every meter cubic after the first 2 m327

ROLES OF UPSTREAM STAKEHOLDERS(REGULATOR)OWNER, MANAGEMENTCORPORATION, OCCUPIER• Desludge once in every 36 months• Retain desludging records

DESLUDGING OPERATORDESLUDGING CONTRACTOR• Able to choose services to render

SERVICE LICENSEE (OPERATOR)• Must acknowledge all requests• Record keeping center

OPERATOR OF SLUDGE
TREATMENT FACILITIES• Validates quantity of sludge

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ROLES OF DOWNSTREAM STAKEHOLDERS

Provide proper access to septic tank fordesludging activities by IWK/Majaari or othercontractors
Shall ensure that the septic tank is desludged
once in every thirty six (36) months. Penalty for
negligence is not exceeding RM 50,000.
Retain the desludging services works completion
copySludge must be disposed at an authorized site,
approved by DOE/SPAN
Shall not discharge, dispose and place nondomestic waste into septic tank. Can becharged not exceeding RM 100,000 orimprisonment for term not exceeding 1 year

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ISSUES,CHALLENGES &WAY FOWARD

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ADVANTANGE & DISADVANTANGE OF ONSITE TREATMENT SYSTEMADVANTAGES• Low installation cost
• Easy installation• Serving a single premise

DISADVANTAGE
Inconsistent treatment performance
Require regular desludging frequency ofonce every 3 years
Capacity allowed only up to 30PE (septictank per premise)
Lacking of Enforcement31SEWAGE CHARACTERISTICS AND EFFLUENTQUALITY
PARAMETER/CONCENTRATION (mg/l)
COMPONENT(IDEAL)
INFLUENTPE
RANGE

CAPACITY
RANGE(m3/day)

BOD

COD

SSTN

NH3-N

Oil &Grease

All

All

250500300503050

BOD

COD

SS

NO3-N

NH3-N

Oil &Grease

P*EFFLUENTINDIVIDUAL SEPTICTANKSMALL SEWAGE
TREATMENT SYSTEM

P*

5 - 301.12 – 6.75

50200

100

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

31 - 149

6.97 – 33.52

35

160

75

N/A

N/A

7.510CHALLENGES IN DETERMINING THE DESIGN INFLUENT PARAMETERS
The influent parameter in Malaysia mostly diluted due to infiltrationand illegal discharges from rain gutter
Note :
1Only applicable for effluent discharge to stagnant water bodies such as lakes and ponds

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DESLUDGING TREND IN MALAYSIA
A substantial
DECLINE in
exercise asshown

BACKGROUND
In January 2008, Water
Services Industry Act 2006
became enforceable

Expected no. of IST
desludged per year =434,196 nos. of IST
desludged

Responsibility ofdesludging individual
septic tank falls
under the ownerPrior to WSIA
mandatoryscheduleddesludging was inplace!

Actual no. of IST desludgedper year =70,170 nos. of IST
desludged

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SOCIAL ISSUES & CHALLENGES
Social Issues•Refusal FromOwners•Septic Tank CoverSealed•Inaccessible, etc

Impact•Higher risk of being
confronted withwater borne
diseases•Quality of water
resource will beaffected, etc

Clean rivers dropped from 63% in 2007 to 57% in2015.

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INTERNATIONAL REPORTLANDSCAPE ANALYSIS AND BUSINESS MODELASSESSMENT IN FAECAL: EXTRACTION AND
TRANSPORTATION MODEL•New business model based on liberalization has anadverse effect on the desludging operators•If the revenue declines even slightly by 5%, after tax
IRR is plunges to 0%Findings•Expected to trigger losses to medium scaled
operator within 2 years and large operator such as
IWK within 5 years•96% of the respondents in the survey conducted forthe study are not willing to pay more than RM 250 for
the services
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“LIBERALISATION TRIAL PERIOD”

Not sustainableNot allow or permit holder E or
IWK has a business model that is
economical
Financial burden on service users
Increases the regulatory burdenon SPAN
• monitoring of the holder of thepermit and enforcement actions forapproximately 340,000 users who
do not desludging of septic tanks
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KEY ISSUES
AWARENESSPROGRAMME
Campaign being
held throughMalaysia toencourage
Malaysiandesludging their IST.
The message
brought to public toaddress key issues
and awareness indesludge their septictanks :Unbearable stenchpermeating the air

Malfunctioning oftoilets, sinks andsanitary pipes

Higher risk of being
confronted with water
borne diseases

Quality of water
resource will beaffected
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WAY FORWARD

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WAY FORWARD
Standardization

Desludging

To elevate & control the quality of prefab.
components produced by manufacturer

Review Water Services Industry(Desludging and Discharge SewageSludge) Rules

To ensure construction &installation is at desirable level toperform as required
To ensure the system would be
able to provide treatment
efficiency as intended

Implementation of Scheduled
Desludging

The tariff is proposed to be
spread over a 3 year period(monthly billing)

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THANK YOU
Mohd Roslee Mahyudinroslee@span.gov.mySEWERAGE REGULATORY DEPARTMENTNATIONAL WATER SERVICES COMMISSION (SPAN)
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MALAYSIA