[ Versi Bahasa Malaysia ]

Water.  Our source of life. We cannot create more water, yet we continue to pollute the limited amount we do have. Malaysia receives over 2000mm of rainfall annually, which is 20 times more than some other countries, and has 1800 rivers, and yet we find ourselves facing water shortages, irregular water supply and drinking water pollution.

In Petaling Jaya, people are facing the impact of water-related problems due to improper management and inefficient use. Rapid development, growth and industrialization in the PJ area has resulted in major water pollution issues. For example, squatter areas continue to use rivers as an open wastewater sewer and residential, commercial and industrial owners use drains and rivers as solid and liquid waste disposal sites. There is a serious lack of civic consciousness and this has resulted in severely polluted water-bodies. 

The W.A.T.E.R project by SPARK Foundation, in partnership with Global Environment Centre (GEC) commenced in December 2007. W.A.T.E.R is a pioneer initiative to educate the public about the importance of water and why and how we should conserve and protect its source: our rivers.

This 3-year project focuses on Sungai Way, a tributary of Sungai Pencala, which eventually flows into Sungai Klang. Its water quality has been classified as Class IV (out of 5) and its main sources of pollution are solid and liquid waste from residential, commercial and industrial areas. In the third year, it is envisioned that a working model of Community Participation in River Management will be developed through this project and that we will be able to apply the same methods at other river basins nation-wide. The project aims to:

• Improve the water quality from Class IV-V to III-IV and enhance the aesthetic value of the river 
   
• Increase awareness & inculcate the ownership among communities to help reduce pollution 
   
• Develop a community participation model elsewhere in Malaysia for large scale implementation

1. To promote and support good resource management practices to the surrounding community 
    
2. To demonstrate & initiate localized resource management activities 
    
3. To support and supplement the government’s ongoing programmes like solid waste and river  management by MHLG & MNRE

• To engage immediate community members in a monitoring program to interest them in rivers as a community asset. 
   
• To provide communities hands-on education and opportunities that will encourage greater awareness, understanding and stewardship of their local river. 
   
• To provide meaningful contributions, focus and effective partnership with communities, local authorities and SPARK Foundation to deliver real benefits to the river.

• To provide the business community a better understanding of the current waste and water issues and initiate participation in waste reduction, water conservation and a recycling program. 
   
• To develop a benchmark system for business communities in waste reduction, water conservation and recycling. 
   
• To expand business community recycling efforts and rainwater harvesting.

-------------- Versi Bahasa Malaysia (Bahasa Malaysia Language) ---------------

Air.  Fakta menunjukkan air adalah sumber kehidupan kita dan tidak dapat dicipta. Namun, kita terus mencemarkan air walaupun dalam kuantiti yang terhad. Malaysia menerima lebih daripada 2000mm air hujan setiap tahun, dan mempunyai 1800 sungai tetapi kita masih menghadapi masalah seperti kekurangan air, bekalan air yang tidak mencukupi dan pencemaran air minuman.

Penduduk di Petaling Jaya menghadapi masalah berkaitan air kesan dari pengurusan yang tidak terurus dan penggunaan air yang tidak effisyen. Kadar pertumbuhan, pembangunan dan perindustrian di PJ telah menyebabkan masalah utama pencemaran air.  Sebagai contoh, kawasan setinggan menggunakan sungai sebagai tempat pembuangan najis manakala kawasan perumahan, komersial dan industri menggunakan parit ataupun longkang sebagai tempat pembuang sampah dalam bentuk pepejal mahupun cecair.  Aktiviti - aktiviti sebegini jelas menunjukkan kurangnya kesedaran sivik telah menyebabkan tahap pencemaran air berada di tahap yang membimbangkan.

Latar Belakang Projek

W.A.T.E.R merupakan inisiatif perintis oleh SPARK Foundation dengan kerjasama GEC untuk mendidik orang ramai mengenai kepentingan air, kenapa dan bagaimana memelihara dan melindungi punca air iaitu sungai kita.

Projek yang sedang dijalankan selama 3 tahun akan memfokuskan Sungai Way, anak sungai kepada Sungai Penchala yang mengalir terus ke Sungai Klang.  Kualiti air di Sungai Way telah diklasifikasi sebagai Kelas IV (dari V)  dan punca utama pencemaran sungai ini adalah dari kawasan perumahan, komersial dan industri.

Objektif

• Meningkatkan kualiti air dari Kelas IV - V ke III - IV dan meningkatkan nilai estatik sungai.
• Meningkatkan kesedaran dan memupuk sifat pemilikan pada komuniti dalam mengurangkan pencemaran.
• Membangunkan sebuah model penglibatan komuniti dan laman web projek untuk dilaksanakan secara besar - besaran.