Notes to ‘Part 2 of My Story (2)’

 

All house owners were given water bills from the period of handing over the keys to the month of June 2022. We received the bills sometime in July 2022 with the note from the management company, Puncak Vistana Management Services, stating that they are sorry for not sending the invoices in time.

I was shocked at the volume of water that had been ‘consumed’ by a vacant house. I have planted a few vegetables in the back yard which I water on non-rainy days and was surprised that I had used 64 cubic  metres of water for the period May – June 2022. I checked the charges for the same period of my neighbour and found it to be 34 cubic metres. That is a difference of 30 cubic metres.

It is shocking because my neighbour is living there whilst my house is vacant. I started my investigative work and discovered that my water meter keeps running even though no tap is turned on in the house. This could only mean one of two things – a faulty water meter or a leaking pipe. I started digging out the soil around the length of pipe in the lawn and discovered no leak. I decided that the leak must be somewhere under the cement beside the perimeter drain.

I wrote a detailed email to the Management company and to Topwira Corporation Sdn. Bhd. on 29.9.2022. Here is the part relating to the water problem:

WATER CHARGES

A cursory look at the invoices to me pertaining to water charges will show that something is amiss. My house no 15 has yet to be occupied and the only water usage is for watering the few plants in the garden. They are watered only on non-rainy days. Please tell me how the meter reading can be as high as quoted by you.

For instance, the meter reading on 1.4.2022 was 0246 and that on 5.7.2022 was 306. That amounts to 60 units. 60 units is equivalent to (60x 2.83 = 169.8 cubic meters). That is approximately 56 cubic meters per month. * (Note added on 30.11.2022 – I believe by units they meant cubic metres)

The bill received for the period 11.2.2022 to 7.7.2022, for my house at Golf Garden where my wife and I live was only 83 cubic meters. That averages to roughly 83/4.5 months = 18.5 cubic meters per month. In addition to watering plants, we use water for bathing, cooking and washing clothes.

 

I would be grateful for an explanation on why there is such a vast difference between the water usage at no 15 Vistana Heights and 21, Golf Garden.

You may also compare your water bill dated 5.7.2022 with that of owners of houses who are already residing at Vistana Heights.

I hope against hope that it is a problem with the water meter. I don’t think it is.

If it is not a problem with the water meter then Vistana heights is in imminent danger.

I wrote another email to the management company in October 2022. I spoke with the person in charge of the security guards at Vistana Heights, several times. I dug up the soil around the pipes once again and explained to Mr. Felix, the head of the security guards. He later said that he had conveyed the message to Jessie Lee.  A few days later I spoke with Jessie Lee and she said that her management team is discussing the complaints and will get back to us but nothing has been done to date.

I wrote about this grave problem to DBKK, the engineers and the architect to no avail. Water leaking underground can be very dangerous as it can create sink holes.

Among the technical problems I gave in writing to Puan Della of LPPB, the first item was:

i.                     The perimeter drain at house No S9 (Lot 15) is sinking. I believe a leaking pipe has started eroding the soil below the surface. This needs to be looked at immediately.

An officer of LPPB was immediately dispatched to S9. He examined the cracks on the cement carefully. He pointed out the crack below the pillar as a result of the sinking and said this is dangerous. He took a video of me pouring water in the crack which continued going in proving that there is a hole underneath the drain.

After the meeting on the 16.11.2022 between LPPB, the developer and consultants, the officer from LPPB who had examined the cracks said that the M&E engineer will come for an inspection.  

I asked the officer when the M&E engineer will arrive and he replied that he is unable to confirm the date. I informed him that Jessie Lee had also promised that someone will come over and investigate the problem but to date no one has arrived.

I decided to write to the engineer and copied my email to LPPB and Topwira. Here is my email:

To: zlsemsb@gmail.com <zlsemsb@gmail.com>

Cc: aduan.lppb@sabah.gov.my <aduan.lppb@sabah.gov.my>; topwiracorporation@yahoo.com <topwiracorporation@yahoo.com>

Sent: Monday, 28 November 2022 at 05:25:46 GMT+8

Subject: ZLS/ Topwira/ lppb - leaking pipe at Vistana Heights

Dear Mr. Sean,

I hope you are in the pink of health.

Following a meeting at LPPB by the developers of Vistana Heights with LPPB and the consultants, Mr. Andy Osman, the architect of LPPB told me that you will be coming to my son's house at Vistana Heights to inspect the leak in the pipe and identify the problem that has existed since handing over the keys to me, by the developer.

I hope you will come as soon as possible as I have switched off the mains for about a month. I have also removed the soil around the pipes in the lawn to expose the pipes so that any leakage can be noticed. Once the dry season begins I will have to water the plants and would need to turn on the mains.

Your response will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you and kind regards,

Luqman Michel

There was no response from any of them.

To be continued…