Urban groundwater extraction in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of groundwater extraction in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia as a potential source of potable water. Kuala Lumpur’s current water supply is provided by large reservoirs that are dependent on rainfall. In 1998 a long period of drought caused a severe water shortage, demonstrating the vulnerability of these reservoirs. Since that time, the city’s water supply infrastructure has been expanded in line with its fastgrowing economy and population. In the Ninth Malaysia Plan, an important policy document, the Malaysian government stated its intention to further expand Kuala Lumpur’s water supply, including from alternative sources such as groundwater, to meet growing water demand (EPU,2005). This makes a study on the feasibility of groundwater extraction in Kuala Lumpur very timely. Three aspects of groundwater extraction are evaluated: technical feasibility, economic feasibility and institutional feasibility. Together, they provide a comprehensive picture.