4.6 Planning, implementation , monitoring and/or evaluation of all program related to Water Management through the utilization of Information Communication Technology (ICT)

[4.6] Planning, implementation, monitoring and/or evaluation of all programs related to Water Management through the utilization of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) (WR.6)

Figure 1: Three (3) units of Rainwater Harvesting Systems have been constructed at PSA, comprising two (2) units at the Civil Engineering Department (CED) and one (1) unit at the Mechanical Engineering Department (MED). The meter in the image is a multi-jet water meter installed on a RWHS, which is a type of velocity flow meter that uses the flow speed to calculate water volume. 

Table 1: Summary of the Rainwater Harvesting System (RWHS) Campaign Survey Evaluation involving 207 respondents who participated and provided feedback 

Description:

(A)      Rainwater Harvesting System (RWHS) Program at Politeknik Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah (PSA)

The Rainwater Harvesting System (RWHS) program at Politeknik Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah (PSA) was implemented as part of the institution’s sustainability initiative to promote efficient water management and environmental conservation. The project was executed in four main stages; planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation; with the integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to enhance accuracy, efficiency, and documentation.

1.          Planning Stage (refer Figure 1)

During the planning phase, the project team identified suitable installation sites, focusing on roofed parking areas near workshops and laboratories within the Civil Engineering Department (JKA). The system design included essential components such as storage tanks, guttering, piping, and filtration units. Clear objectives were set for the reuse of harvested rainwater, specifically for cleaning workshop floors and landscape irrigation. ICT tools played a key role in this stage; SketchUp software was used to develop 3D technical drawings to ensure the optimal system design. This digital approach allowed the project team to visualize the setup accurately and estimate required materials effectively.

2.          Implementation Stage

The implementation phase involved the installation of rainwater storage tanks, gutters, pipes, and filtration units, followed by functional testing to ensure the system operated smoothly. The installation was carried out at designated points within PSA’s Civil Engineering Department. ICT was applied during this phase through the use of smartphones to capture progress photos, record on-site construction activities, and maintain digital documentation. This allowed real-time sharing of updates among the project team and facilitated better project management and reporting.

3.          Monitoring Stage

Monitoring focused on evaluating the operational efficiency and sustainability of the installed system. The project team closely tracked the volume of harvested and utilized rainwater, ensuring no leaks or blockages occurred throughout the process. Multi-Jet Water Meter (refer Figure 1) was applied to measure water usage accurately and record consumption data. The collected data was analyzed periodically to determine the system’s effectiveness in reducing reliance on municipal water sources.

4.          Evaluation Stage

In the evaluation phase, the project team conducted a comprehensive review of the RWHS performance, emphasizing the effectiveness of treated water use and overall system reliability. Feedback from staff and students was collected to assess awareness and satisfaction levels regarding the system’s implementation (refer Table 1). ICT tools such as Microsoft Excel were used to organize and analyze water usage data, generate graphical reports, and summarize system performance over time. The final evaluation report provided recommendations for future improvements, including system expansion to other departments and the integration of automated monitoring sensors.

Based on the data provided in the Tables 1, Table 2 and Table 3, a comparison of the three Rainwater Harvesting Systems (RWHS) is as follows:

i.           Turbidity: RWHS 3 shows the lowest average turbidity value (2.08), indicating it produces the clearest water among the three systems. RWHS 2 is slightly higher at 2.10, while RWHS 1 has the highest average turbidity at 2.16.

ii.         Dissolved Oxygen (DO): RWHS 1 has the highest average dissolved oxygen level (6.18), followed by RWHS 3 (5.56). RWHS 2 has the lowest average DO at 4.85. Higher DO levels can be beneficial, but the significance for rainwater quality assessment depends on the intended use.

iii.           pH: RWHS 3 has the highest average pH (5.36), which is the closest to a neutral pH of 7. RWHS 2 follows with an average pH of 5.09. RWHS 1 has the lowest and most acidic average pH at 4.30.

iv.         In conclusion, RWHS 3 appears to have the best overall rainwater quality based on the provided parameters, with the lowest turbidity and the highest pH. RWHS 1, while having the highest dissolved oxygen, has the most acidic water (lowest pH). RWHS 2 falls in the middle for most parameters.

Figure 3: Water conservation campaign posters distributed via email and social media to PSA staff and students. 

Table: Summary of the Survey Evaluation on the Water-Saving Campaign at Ablution Areas, Toilets, and Sinks, and Awareness of Using the e-Maintenance Platform for Pipe Leak Reports 

Description:

(A)      Rainwater Harvesting System (RWHS) Program at Politeknik Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah (PSA)

The Water Conservation and Practice Campaign at Politeknik Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah (PSA) was comprehensively managed across its four key stages; Planning, Implementation, Monitoring, and Evaluation; by strategically leveraging Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to ensure a systematic, institution-wide approach to resource management. This concerted effort was designed not only to embed a culture of water conservation among the campus community but also to establish clear, measurable mechanisms for tracking consumption, managing infrastructure maintenance, and quantifying the overall effectiveness of the initiative. The campaign thus employed a full-cycle methodology to ensure successful execution and the achievement of significant, verifiable water savings, demonstrating a strong commitment to environmental sustainability and operational efficiency.

1.            Planning Stage

The campaign begins with a Planning stage that runs from July 2024 to August 2024. This crucial initial phase involves several key actions: identifying areas of high water consumption, developing the necessary awareness materials, setting clear and measurable water saving objectives, and preparing an overall campaign schedule with proper resource allocation. The use of ICT during this stage focuses on content creation, specifically using graphic design software such as Canva or Adobe Illustrator to design posters and infographics. The resulting outputs and evidence include digital poster templates and emails used for subsequent dissemination. Campaign coordination, strategy and initial dissemination are led by the SmartGreen Unit, PSA, while the UIDM unit handles digital content creation.

2.            Implementation Stage

The campaign moved into the Implementation stage, running from September 2024 to March 2025. This phase saw the execution of several specific programs, including the Water Saving Campaign at Ablution Areas, a Water Conservation and Pipe Leak Reporting Awareness Campaign, and Water Saving Campaigns focused on both Toilets and Sinks (refer Figure 3). ICT was integral to the wide reach of the campaign, as messages were disseminated through email, the PSA website, and social media platforms (refer Figure 4). Furthermore, digital posters promoting water saving were displayed on electronic boards across the campus. Evidence of this stage includes campaign photos and reports, copies of email announcements and social media posts, and the physical posters and promotional materials displayed around PSA facilities.

3.          Monitoring Stage

Monitoring took place from October 2024 to June 2025. This stage was dedicated to tracking effectiveness by observing user behavior, recording maintenance actions, and tracking water consumption. Key to monitoring was the use of the monthly water bills as a source for tracking consumption. Data was recorded and analyzed digitally using Excel software. For facility maintenance, an online reporting form known as the e-SENGGARAAN Platform (refer Figure 5) was utilized to manage and maintain logs for pipe leak notifications and subsequent repairs.

4.          Evaluation Stage and Results

The Evaluation stage was scheduled for June 2025 for the final review and report. This comprehensive review involved preparing a report on the campaign's effectiveness and collecting feedback from PSA staff and students ICT facilitated this process through the use of Google Forms to conduct online surveys and Excel for data analysis and reporting.

The evaluation showed concrete results through two main metrics:

i.           Survey Feedback (refer Table 5 – 8): The use of the e-Maintenance Platform for Pipe Leak Reports showed that the Practice Level for immediate reporting to the relevant department increased from 4.71 to 4.79 after the campaign. Similarly, the Awareness Level for proper ablution techniques and the Practice Level for conserving water while performing ablution both increased following the campaign at Ablution Areas.

ii.         Water Savings Calculation (refer Table 9): By comparing the Baseline Data (July 2023–June 2024) and Current Data (July 2024–June 2025), the total water usage was reduced from 343,085 m3 to 298,836 m3. This resulted in a total Water Savings of 44,249 m3. This difference corresponds to a 12.9% overall water saving for the institution.