Safeguarding Malaysia’s Water for Tomorrow
“Water is the most critical resource issue of our lifetime and our children’s lifetime. The health of our waters is the principal measure of how we live on the land.” – Luna Leopold, geomorphologist and hydrologist”
Water is a precious commodity and a lifeline for any living organism. It is vital to our thirsty economies, supporting industries, agriculture, and the survival of civilisations.
From source to tap, Gamuda’s expanding water portfolio is a journey that begins from rivers to treatment plants, through a network of pipes, and finally into homes and businesses. Water infrastructure is a key part of our expertise, having successfully completed water treatment plants, dams, transfer systems, urban regeneration, hydroelectric dam solutions and water concession across Malaysia and Vietnam. Over two decades, we’ve advanced integrated expertise and built comprehensive capabilities with each new project, positioning us to be Malaysia’s premier water infrastructure specialist, future-proofing water security for millions across Southeast Asia.
Our latest water venture in Perak – the Northern Perak Water Supply Scheme – Water Treatment and Distribution Infrastructure – was entrusted to us by the state, thanks to our proven track record. Our concession will bring this precious resource into the homes and industries of Northern Perak, as well as nearby Penang.
Take a look at Gamuda’s water journey from our first project in Selangor.
Foundation for Modern Water Engineering
In the wake of the 1998 El Niño water crisis which affected more than a million people across the Klang Valley, the state of Selangor realised that a long-term solution was needed to ensure that they would be prepared in the event of another incident. Gamuda’s water journey began in 2000 when we proposed the comprehensive Sungai Selangor Water Supply Scheme Phase 3 (SSP3). This entailed the Sungai Selangor Dam working in tandem with the Rasa and Bukit Badong Water Treatment Plants (WTP) to serve the largest cities in Malaysia.
Since 2005, the SSP3 provides clean and safe water to more than nine million residents in the fastest growing trifecta – Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya – enabling its booming services, manufacturing, financial and administrative sectors to tick.
“The SSP3 is a clear demonstration Gamuda’s capabilities in complex engineering challenges. By source works, treatment, distribution and automation, we laid the foundation for modern water engineering, creating lasting water security for Klang Valley’s households and economies.” – Khor Thiam Chay, Director of Gamuda Water
Upon completion of the SSP3, Gamuda Water was formed in 2003, operating and maintaining the facilities to this day. Gamuda’s total water concessions provide 2,000 mld of potable water.
Transforming a Pollution Problem into Environmental Asset
Toxic waste and dead fish were a common sight 10 years ago, in Yen So Park, Vietnam – until Gamuda took on a project of immense magnitude that no other developer dared to – turning this wasteland into an Eden! The result? A state-of-the-art 10-hectare Yen So Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) and rejuvenation of the 102-hectare Yen So park with five badly polluted lakes given a new lease of life now for Hanoi citizens to enjoy.
Yen So Park has become Hanoi’s largest green lung today, but the most heartwarming part is giving thousands of Hanoians a park they can truly enjoy on any given weekend. The STP manages up to 40 percent of the capital’s wastewater daily, meeting the requirements of the southern and eastern parts of Vietnam’s second most populous city, where some 8.5 million people call home. These facilities are right in the eye of a rapidly urbanising city that aspires to become a green, smart, and global hub by 2030.
We exported Malaysian water engineering excellence to an international market, promoted sustainable water management and turned a chronic pollution problem into an environmental asset. More than just a development, Yen So remains an epic transformation that opened a new chapter for Hanoi’s environment and community.” – Khor
Digital-first Approach to Water Resilience
Taking construction into 2025 and beyond, our digital-first approach in the Sungai Rasau Water Supply Scheme (Stage 1) is a gamechanger for the future of water infrastructure management.
By leveraging cutting-edge technologies, we are empowering teams with data-driven decision-making, multidisciplinary collaboration, enhancing safety and sustainability. We are the first in Malaysia to use AutoCAD plant 3D to model and visualise the complex systems in a water treatment plant with ease. This has resulted in Gamuda sweeping up a number of awards, including the Autodesk ASEAN Innovation Awards 2024, five categories in the MiSHA National Excellence Awards 2023, while Rasau is the first WTP to achieve the 5-Star Sustainable INFRASTAR Certification.
As the country’s first dual-function off-river storage system supplying water and mitigating floods, the Sungai Rasau Water Supply Scheme will increase the reserve margin to 20.9 percent and produce up to 1,400 mld of clean water for the Klang region.
Water Security for Perak’s Homes and Industries – and some for Penang
Up in Northern Perak, Gamuda has secured its latest water project (its third in Malaysia). The Northern Perak Water Supply Scheme – Water Treatment and Distribution Infrastructure is a testament to our credible water expertise and experience, which led to the Perak Government entrusting us to take on a 40-year concession.
The scope will involve treating and distributing water to Kerian, including the proposed Kerian Integrated Green Industrial Park (KIGIP) and selling the excess to Penang (a water-scarce state, yet with the highest per capita domestic water consumption in the country).
“This strategic collaboration with the Perak State and Federal Government brings long-term water security and sustainability to Gamuda’s home state of Perak. Specifically, it will meet irrigation, domestic, and industrial needs, focusing on the local workforce and community development.” – Faris Mohd Yusof, Executive Director, Gamuda Engineering
Paving the Way for Water and Renewable Energy Integration
As Malaysia sets out to power the country with a 35 percent renewable energy (RE) mix by 2030, Sabah emerges as a promising clean energy frontier with abundant natural resources and forward-looking policies. Flagship initiatives such as the 187.5MW Ulu Padas Hydroelectric Project will increase the state’s current dependable energy generation capacity by some 15 percent and double the RE mix, helping Sabah pivot to a 35 percent RE mix by 2035.
Beyond power generation, the dam is expected to help address Sabah’s persistent water shortage. Regulating an average discharge of 6,000 million litres per day (MLD) of raw water, it is slated to safeguard water security for Sabahans for up to 100 years and spark socio-economic growth along the western coastal corridor.
“Integrating water management with RE generation is the way forward for water infrastructure. This dual function is shaping next-generation water sustainability for Sabah.” – Joshua Kong Sing Hoe, Director of Renewable Energy, Gamuda Berhad
As Gamuda continues to evolve water infrastructure engineering through better technology, sustainability, and innovation, we are committed to deliver future-ready assets, bringing even greater value to our clients. We are paving the way to water resilience for the nation, as well as accelerating socio-economic growth in those areas for all.