KOTA KINABALU: 21 July 2026 – The project to upgrade the water supply system in Sandakan, which includes the construction of several water storage tanks, has now achieved 94 percent physical completion and is expected to be fully operational by January 2027.
Assistant Minister of Works and Utilities, Datuk Limus Jury, who represented the Deputy Chief Minister I and Minister of Works and Utilities, said the project is among the government’s long-term measures to enhance the stability of water supply in Sandakan, including the areas of Karamunting, Gum-Gum, Sekong, Senallang and Tanjong Papat.
He was responding to questions from Wong Tszun Khee (Karamunting), Arunarnsin Taib (Gum-Gum), Datuk Seri Panglima Mohd Shafie Apdal (Senallang), Alias Sani (Sekong) and Thien Ching Qiang (Tanjong Papat) during today’s sitting of the Sabah State Legislative Assembly.
According to Limus, the project involves the construction of three water storage tanks at Batu 16 Gum-Gum with a capacity of five million litres, Batu 7 Jalan Airport (10 million litres), Batu 4 Tshun Ngen (10 million litres), and a balancing tank with a capacity of 10 million litres at Batu 12 Sungai Manila.
“The upgrade project for the water supply system, including the construction of storage tanks in Sandakan, is currently in the implementation phase with physical progress at 94 per cent and is scheduled for completion by January 2027,” he said.
He stated that upon completion, the project will enable treated water from the Segaliud Water Treatment Plant to be stored and distributed more systematically, thereby reducing pressure on the existing pipeline network and minimising pipe leakages.
In addition, the Sabah Water Department also plans to rehabilitate 10 existing tube wells to increase the production capacity of the Hilltop and Sibuga Water Treatment Plants by two to four million litres per day. The project is expected to commence this year under the 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK-13).
Furthermore, the government has also applied for an allocation to build a new water treatment plant in Segaliud with a capacity of 125 million litres per day, which is currently at the design stage, with physical implementation to be sought under Rolling Plan 3 (RP3) of the 13th Malaysia Plan.
