Water security remains a primary concern within urban developments in Malaysia. Klang Valley is no stranger to unpredictable water disruptions as observed circa Christmas and New Year's 2022, which is why, having efficient water security measures in place is imperative to minimise interruption to our operations.

 A crucial component in safeguarding water security at Sunway is our water treatment plant at Sunway South Quay Lake, which can supply up to 8.5 million litres of water daily – enough to provide drinking water for 51,500 people.

The University is involved in a project to provide expertise to a local development corporation that sought to investigate the health of the Sunway South Quay (SSQ) Lake. Currently, all Sunway’s managed properties in Sunway City Kuala Lumpur are piped to the water treatment plant, ensuring a continuous water supply even during a water cut.

The South Quay Lake is a relatively deep lake, with an average depth of 30 m, experiencing early to mid-stage eutrophication, which will eventually lead to very low oxygen levels beneath the lake surface, commonly known as a dead lake. This reduction in oxygen levels can result in the death of most complex lifeforms in the water and a fall in flora and fauna biodiversity. Low oxygen levels will also lead to increasing sedimentation rates and cause eventual formation of marshland and swamp environments.

Since 2021, researchers from the School of Medical and Life Sciences were involved in a project to examine the water quality of South Quay Lake, and thereby provide scientific basis and predictions on long-term solutions for maintaining and improving the quality of lake water through hydrological and ecological research.

The initial study will be extended, but the research conclusion for 2023 is that there is enough water flowing into the SSQ lake to develop a system to cycle out stagnant water from the lake, allowing more fresh rainwater to be collected in the lake while still supporting the demands of the Sunway water plant. This will eventually lead to an overall improvement in the health of the lake. The next phase of the project would be to examine if the lake ecology can be slowly diversified with the addition of more types of aquatic organisms.

This project is part of the University's effort to support water conservation, in line with our commitment to reduce water intensity dependency from the municipal potable water supply by 10% by 2030. This commitment is covered in the University's Environmental Sustainability policy.

This project also supports Sunway's water security measure to achieve at least five days of uninterrupted water supply from the onset of a water disruption event by 2030. The operations of many organisations across Sunway City are incredibly reliant on the safety and quality of the water in this lake. Sunway Property and Facility Management Chief Operating Officer Mr. Cheng Jew Keng said, “During the water cuts, Sunway’s water treatment plant has helped the city’s commercial assets maintain a continuous supply of safe and healthy water. To better illustrate, all hotels, restaurants, universities and malls of Sunway City Kuala Lumpur were assured of a safe supply of water during that period.”