By Olivia Miwil
KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Water Department has recorded 1,574 cases of illegal water connection disconnections from 2023 until last month, says State Works Minister Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam.
He said enforcement efforts had shown a significant upward trend.
"In 2023, there were 208 cases; in 2024, 398 cases; in 2025, 782 cases; and as of March 2026, 186 cases," he said in his winding-up speech at the state legislative assembly.
Dr Joachim, who is also Sabah Deputy Chief Minister, said the state's water supply network was estimated at 16,244km, covering both main distribution systems and consumer connections.
He said the pipe replacement programme was being implemented in phases and based on district priorities.
Over the past five years, about 100km of pipes have been replaced, involving an allocation of around RM40 million.
"These works focus on high-risk areas that frequently experience leaks and water disruptions," he said, adding that the priority was to replace ageing and failure-prone pipes to improve efficiency and reduce non-revenue water (NRW).
He also said several high-impact projects under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) were being implemented to address water supply issues in Tawau, including the RM470 million Tawau Water Supply Scheme Phase III, and the RM335 million Cinta Mata 2 Water Treatment Plant, along with transmission and distribution pipeline works and storage tanks.
Separately, Dr Joachim said 19 Early Warning System (EWS) locations had been installed along federal roads in Sabah to monitor slope movement and provide early alerts in the event of potential failures.
He said that the ministry had also planned engineering investigations on slope safety involving 21 state roads across the state.
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