The company's performance driven programs towards providing more efficient sewerage services to customers registered satisfactory results with indications of more rooms for improvement. The key performance indicators (KPI) were for various services rendered by the company. On the average, the fulfillment of the frequently requested services in 2003 was 2.7% better than 2002. Customers can view this performance in the company's web site www.iwk.com.my.

The overall collection performance for 2003 continued to register positive results for the third consecutive years with an increase of 21% or RM 37 million higher than 2002. The higher collections reflect increasing number of customers realizing and appreciating the importance of proper sewerage management, provided by the company, to preserve the environment.

One of the company's major construction projects completed in the year, includes the commissioning of a new "Intermittent Decanter Extended Aeration" (IDEA) mechanized sewage treatment plant at Taman Mas, Ipoh, Perak on 5 December 2003 at a total cost of RM 7.4 million. Before 2002, the housing estate was connected to a 20-year old "Oxidation Pond" sewage treatment plant.

Other major projects undertaken by the company included the completion of 2 sewerage-pumping stations at a total cost of RM 12.5 million to improve the sewerage systems in Georgetown and various parts of Penang.

Another new sewage treatment plant under construction valued at RM 40 million along the Sg. Besi North-South Highway is expected to be completed and commissioned by third quarter of 2004. The first phase of the "Modified Oxidation Ditch" sewage treatment plant will be catering to a population equivalent of 82,500 users from Bandar Tun Razak, Taman Connaught-Cheras, Bandar Tasik Selatan and Sg. Besi Town.

The continuous improvements in the collection have enabled the company to reinvest in the purchase of more new vehicles and also conduct a Customer Satisfaction Survey to further improve the company's sewerage services to customers.

For the past 2 years, more customers have begun to realize the importance of regular maintenance of septic tanks to curb pollution of the environment. To fulfill the increasing requests for removal of accumulated sludge/waste materials from septic tanks, the company invested RM 2.6 million to purchase an additional 10 units of new desludging tankers to complement the existing 186 units.

An additional 21 units of new work vans were purchased at a total cost of RM 1.6 million to complement the existing 268 units. This is mainly to facilitate our technicians to perform more regular maintenance works at the public sewage treatment plants and sewerage pumping stations.

With the increasing cases of blockages caused by oil, grease and rubbish in the underground sewerage pipelines, the company had to purchase another 2 units of new sewer cleaning vehicle for RM1.3 million to complement the existing 8 units. The company may have to increase investments for the purchase of this vehicle if the public at large and restaurant operators continue to indiscriminately dispose rubbish and solid waste materials into the sewerage systems or toilets.

As part of the on-going improvement programs to ensure public sewage treatment plants operate efficiently, the company initiated the appointment of private contractors, who specialize in mechanical and electrical engineering to undertake preventive maintenance works of mechanical equipment and monitoring of electrical control panels at the plants. In addition, private contractors specialize in civil engineering were appointed to expedite the replacement and repair works of damage sewerage pipelines, clearing of blockages and cleaning works at the public sewage treatment plants.

As part of the company's continuous improvement programs, an annual survey-using questionnaire was posted to 10,000 domestic customers nationwide in 2003. From the responses received, 83% of the respondents rated the company's overall performance as good whilst the balance rated the company performance as satisfactory with suggestions for more information on the sewerage services rendered by the company to be communicated through the mass media.

As at 31 December 2003, the population equivalent or number of users whose premises are connected to public sewage treatment plants increased by 8.8% from 11.3 million users to 12.3 million users in Peninsular Malaysia and Labuan.

Similarly, for the same period, the number of public sewage treatment plants operated and maintained increased from 7,127 to 7,520, length of the network of underground sewerage pipelines increased from 11,500 km to 12,700 km and number of sewerage pumping stations increased from 399 to 448.

At Indah Water, we strive to provide you with efficient sewerage services so that you'll never have to see, hear, touch, smell or think about sewage. And it's just a small price to pay for your peace of mind.