News & Events
The plugging ceremony for the Sungai Selangor Dam in Kuala Kubu Bharu was officiated by Selangor Menteri Besar YAB Dato' Seri Dr Mohamad Khir bin Toyo
25 April 2003 | Category: Events
The PLUGGING CEREMONY FOR THE SUNGAI SELANGOR DAM IN KUALA KUBU BHARU WAS OFFICIATED BY SELANGOR MENTERI BESAR YAB DATO' SERI DR MOHAMAD KHIR BIN TOYO. THE DAM WHICH WAS COMPLETED TWO MONTHS AHEAD OF TIME IS A COMPONENT OF THE SUNGAI SELANGOR PHASE 3 (SSP3) PROJECT WHICH HAS SYARIKAT PENGELUAR AIR SUNGAI SELANGOR SDN BHD (SPLASH) AS THE CONCESSIONAIRE
Held on April 25, 2003, the event is considered the single most important event in the construction of a dam. It is akin to seeing the fruits of hard labour and is the only time those involved in the construction come together to rejoice and celebrate.
Plugging is a technical term which refers to the lowering of the of a specially constructed gate at the upstream of the diversion tunnel to mark the beginning of impounding or in laymen's term the start of flooding of the dam. It is estimated that it will take about 18 months for the dam to reach full impoundment. However, the actual time taken for the dam to reach full capacity will depend on the weather patterns, which has of late been unpredictable.
The event began with YAB Dato' Seri Dr Mohamad Khir cutting the ribbon to symbolize the dropping of the gate. Following that, five bags of fishes were released into the river. YBhg Dato' Azmi then briefed YAB Dato' Seri Dr Mohamad Khir and other VIPs and the media on the SSP3 and plugging procedures.
The Sungai Selangor Phase 3 project is a RM2.14 Billion water privatization project mooted and implemented after the water crisis that affected the Klang Valley in 1998.
After intense study and survey, Sungai Selangor was identified as the last and only remaining source of water and quick and swift action were put into place to implement the SSP3 project to prevent another crisis which, it was reported, was likely to happen with the escalating demand for water at 5% to 6 % per annum. The demand for water in Selangor and Federal Territory was 1600 MLD in 1990, 3050MLD in 2000 and it is estimated that in 2010, the demand will escalate to 6205 MLD and by the year 2020, it will be 7642 MLD. The continuous escalation could be attributed to the high economic, business and industrial activities in the region which has resulted in massive population growth.
It is estimated that the dam will take about 18 months to reach full impoundment. However, the actual time is dependent on the season. The dam is sprawled over 600 ha of land with a gross storage area of 235 million cubic meters. The dam constructed with over 1000 workers was built with 1.2 million cubic meters of clay core and 6.4 million cubic meters of granite. With a height of 110m and crest length of 800m, the dam is the biggest in the country in terms of capacity.
Located at 5 km east of KKB at the Jalan KKB-Jalan Bukit Fraser, the dam will offer scenic view upon reaching maximum capacity storage for those driving up to Fraser Hill. With additional features such as rest areas and parks to be provided by SPLASH, it would be a breathtaking experience to pay a visit to the Sungai Selangor Dam in the near future. The Sungai Selangor dam is the 10th and the last to be built in Selangor.
The regulatory dam is the most critical component of the project with special expertise needed to complete each feature at the dam such as the spillway, plunge pool, draw-off tower and the diversion tunnel with each performing critical and crucial role in the dam operations.
When fully completed, the SSP3 will have a capacity of 1050 MLD and together with the 950MLD currently supplied by SSP1, SPLASH will be meeting 45% of the total demand for water in the Klang Valley. SSP1 is a treatment plant which SPLASH took over from the state government in the year 2000.
YAB Dato' Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo cuts the ribbon to mark the event.
The workers lowering of the specially constructed gate at the upstream of the diversion tunnel to mark the beginning of impounding the dam.