BACKGROUND

Sabah State Water Department (JANS) is a State Government agency under the Ministry of
Infrastructure Development. Presently, JANS operates under the state ordinance (Water Supply
Enactment 2003) to supply treated water to the Sabah State community.
There are 55 water treatment plants operating throughout the state and an average of 1.05 billion
liters of water pumped out everyday to meet the peoples demand. The water supply is about
99.8% to the urban community and 69% to the rural community while the length of pipe is up to
10,499 km. There are about 385,821 water consumers registered from the 9 Water Divisional
Offices and 18 Water District offices throughout the State.

HISTORY
Sabah State Water Department was established in 1962 as a Hydraulic Division in the Sabah
State Public Works Department (PWD). Under the PWD administration, the PWD Director was
given full responsibility to act as the State Water Authority as stated in the Sabah Water Supply
Ordinance 1961.
In April 1987, the State Government decided to form a State Water Department and place it
under the purview of the Ministry of Works and Communication Sabah (now known as the
Ministry of Infrastructure Development).
JANS was officially formed as a full fledge department in 1st January 1988 after the amendment
of the Water Supply ordinance 1961 was approved by the Sabah State Assembly Hall.
The Director of Water Department is given full authority to perform his authority, functions and
responsibility as a State Water Authority under Section 2, Water Supply Ordinance 1961. The
authority commenced on 1st July 1987.

Vision, Mission and Objective

VISION
To become an efficient, systematic and world-class water utility organisation by the year 2020.

MISSION

Provide quality water supply services for the well-being of the people via development and
operation of continuous and efficient delivery of water; as well as excellent customer service.

OBJECTIVE
1. To provide sufficient good quality treated water in line with the increase in population
and the State social economic growth;
2. To provide good customer service including accurate and efficient billing system and
revenue collection;
3. To attain a suitable percentage in providing potable water to urban and rural population;
and
4. To provide water supply facilities to fulfill the people needs in districts by way of;
o Accurate scheduling in revenue collection;
o Complete water supply distribution;
o Water supply which is adequate in quantity and satisfy the quality standards; and
o Service which is efficient and customer oriented.

Functions and Duties

A. The State Water Authority shall have the functions and duties to:
a. Manage the production and distribution of water, and the collection of revenue;
b. Regulate and control the supply of water;
c. Ensure efficiency and quality in the supply of water;
d. Exercise regulatory functions as prescribed under this Enactment and the
Regulations made hereunder;
e. Investigate any accidents involving any part of a water supply system arising out
of the operations and maintenance of any water supply system or water supply
services;

f. Require a Water Supply Authority to perform any duty imposed on him by or

under this Enactment or any regulations made hereunder;
g. Prescribe a code of practice for Water Supply Authority;
h. Prosecute any offence under this Enactment;
i. Issue licence;
j. Review the regulations made hereunder and to make recommendations to the
Minister; and
k. Carry on all such other activities as may appear to the State Water Authority
necessary and incidental for the purpose of carrying out or in connection with the
performance of his functions and duties under this Enactment.
B. In addition to the functions and duties conferred on the State Water Authority by this
Enactment or regulations made hereunder, the State Water Authority shall have the
general control and supervision of all Water Supply Authorities in the State.

The plant is operated for 8 hours a day starting at 8am to 4pm. Processing operations
within water for 8 hours is only capable of processing one million liters of water a day.
However, the amount of water that is processed and produced is not able to fulfill or
accommodate the needs of all residents Merotai. This is a consequence of a lack of
staff to manage the plant because of the number of employees who should have control
of this plant is a total of 19 people. With sufficient number of employees and more, this
plant is able to process the water for 24 hours a day to produce clean water as much as
4.5 million liters of water a day.