In 1804, the first formal arrangement of a water supply system in the
country began in Penang when the population then was 10,000 people. Clear
stream water from the hills was brought along a brickwork channel to the
town, where earthern pipes were laid through the streets and tin pipes
conducted water to the houses.
Modern rapid gravity filtration plants were only introduced in 1930's. Penang's Waterfall water supply and the Ampang Impounding in Kuala Lumpur which are still in service are some of the earliest public water supply constructed.
Post Second World War, development of water supply continued and by year 1950, 100 treatment plants in the country were producing 195 megaliteres per day supplying a population of 1.15 million. Major developments, however, took an upturn during the era after the nation gained independance from the British in 1957. Presently ( May, 1998 statistics ) there are more than 478 treatment plants in the country, producing about 9,870 million liters per day, serving a population of 19.8 million people.
