To many expats, it’s somewhat baffling that Malaysia is currently struggling with a water shortage. The country has one of the highest average rainfall levels in the world, and yet every few years there is talk of water rationing because of a prolonged dry spell. This year it seems especially bad.

The abundance of rain seems to have given Malaysia a false sense of security. Apparently, Malaysians use much more water than their neighbours, around 226 litres a day. According to one expert, this could easily be reduced by half with better home water management.

This situation is compounded by poor infrastructure. Around one-third of treated water is lost in the pipes going to water users. This “non-revenue water” amount is at a much higher level than that of other countries and is mainly due to most of the pipes having exceeded their expected lifespan without being replaced.

Clearly, as the country moves rapidly to advanced economic status, this is a problem which needs to be tackled. On the positive side, the response to water leakages is usually fast and efficient, although this may be because they have so many leaks they get plenty of practice.