In brief
Electrical supply interruptions on November 7 and early November 8 knocked out two water treatment plants in Tutong, causing water shortages in adjacent districts. Brunei’s Public Works Department is investigating the cause and issuing advisories while blue water tanks are deployed to support affected households. Residents are urged to conserve water until supplies return to normal.
In the early hours of November 8, electrical interruptions at two water‑treatment plants in Tutong cut power to facilities that serve Brunei‑Muara and Tutong districts, leaving thousands without tap water. The Public Works Department (PWD) under the Ministry of Development confirmed the outages on Saturday and released a statement Sunday noting that investigations are underway to determine the exact cause.
According to PWD, the plants first suffered an electrical failure on November 7 and again in the early hours of November 8. While repairs continue, the department has placed blue water tanks in several locations to provide immediate relief to residents. It has also advised the public to use water wisely and to limit non‑essential usage.
Earlier this October, Brunei experienced one of its worst nationwide power outages, which cut electricity supply and left 80% of treated water unavailable, according to a statement from Matbali Musah on the Free Malaysia Today Facebook page. That incident highlighted the vulnerability of the country’s utilities, but was unrelated to the current plant‑specific failures reported by Xinhua.
