Kuching Wastewater Treatment Plant
The Kumpulan Nishimatsu-Hock Seng Lee Consortium introduced modern waste water management to Sarawak. HSL led the complicated endeavour, which included tunnelling a 64.5km long underground trunk line. The tunnels formed a network underneath the city centre and reached below the riverbed of Sungai Sarawak.
Construction began in late 2008, and by 2011, HSL achieved a milestone: a 280m long portion became Malaysia’s longest under river tunnel. For that, the company entered the Malaysian Book of Records, a feat which still stands.
Newspaper reports back then noted HSL’s usage of precision laser-guided tunnel boring machines to complete the arduous 280m journey. During the tunnelling process, the cutter head had to be changed three times.
Engineering wonders aside, the project is one of the most significant environmental preservation projects ever undertaken in Sarawak.
To recap, Kuching produces 175 million litres of wastewater every day. Of the total, 80% of which is “grey” water, while 20% is “black”. Examples of grey water are waste like soaps, chemicals, food waste and so on. Black is what is stored in septic tanks.
Before the centralised treatment plant, wastewater was discharged into drains and waterways, causing heavy pollution to Sungai Sarawak.
Package One of the project covered a population equivalent of 60,000 people, focusing on Kuching’s urban centre.
With the expertise HSL has gained, the company is now spearheading Package Two, and is also heading the similar centralised water water treatment project in Miri.