My Water Stories: A Childhood in Rural Sabah - 2025-02-08

Growing up in a remote village in Sabah, Malaysia, we didn't have access to city water. Our house sat near a river, but sadly, it was heavily polluted by pig sewage. Instead, we relied on a water source about 1.5 kilometers away, up in the hills on our farmland.

As a child, I was a constant observer, full of questions about the natural world around me. Where did our farm water come from? The dew on the grass fascinated me – how could it appear on rainless nights? And what about the water droplets that formed on our zinc roof in the mornings, even when there hadn't been a drop of rain? I even noticed condensation forming on the outside of my glass when I added ice water, but that seemed so normal, I never gave it much thought.

It wasn't until I was older that a lightbulb went off. I'd often see water dripping from the air conditioning unit, and one day it struck me: the water must be coming from the air! It was condensing as it cooled. A quick search online led me to the concept of dew point – the temperature at which water vapor in the air condenses into liquid water. This simple explanation suddenly unlocked the answers to all those childhood mysteries!

This newfound understanding also shed light on a trip I took to Kota Kinabalu National Park as a child. The seemingly magical waterfalls, appearing to spring from nowhere, suddenly made sense. I remembered learning in science class how temperature decreases with altitude. The higher the mountain, the colder it gets, causing dew to form and eventually creating streams and waterfalls.

But what about our farm water? It originated from a stream nestled between two valleys, one facing east and the other west. This unique location meant that the sun never fully reached one side of the hill at any given time. Both valleys were lush with vegetation, and combined with the consistently lower temperatures due to the shade and the hill itself, the dew point was reached even in the afternoons. This incredible natural phenomenon provided us with a year-round water supply!

My grandfather, a resourceful man, had devised a brilliant two-dam system. The first dam acted as a settling tank, allowing the heavier sediments to sink to the bottom, while cleaner water flowed over the top into the second dam. This second dam repeated the process, further purifying the water. From there, the cleaner water was channeled through halved bamboo pipes into a larger holding tank. This tank also had an ingenious design; the outlet pipe was positioned slightly above the bottom, allowing any remaining sediment to settle. Finally, the water flowed through rubber pipes about 1.5 kilometers downhill to our house. The 5 to 8 meter height difference between the farm and our house, so even the final tank next to our house at about 2-meter elevation, provided enough gravity-fed pressure to bring water right to our doorstep – no electricity required!

The water was fantastic – sweet and free of any chlorine taste. However, the stream occasionally contained leeches, so we always boiled the water before drinking it. Our system worked remarkably well, but during dry spells, air would sometimes get trapped in the pipes when occasionally short of water, blocking the flow. When this happened, I'd have to trek up the hill and disconnect the pipe joints section by section, releasing the trapped air until the water could flow freely again.

This experience taught me valuable lessons. Water scarcity is a real problem. My grandfather's initiative to find a solution was inspiring. It showed me the importance of taking action instead of simply complaining or waiting for someone else to fix the problem. The dew, seemingly insignificant, accumulates over time to provide a substantial water source. This reminded me of the power of consistent saving and investing, even small amounts, which can grow into something significant over time. Just as the environment works tirelessly to produce dew, our investments can work for us even while we sleep.

Thinking ahead to retirement, I recognize the importance of planning and finding solutions. The principle of accumulating small amounts over time applies perfectly to retirement savings. And just as the natural world provides for us, we need to ensure our financial resources are working for us.

If I were to return to my village, I would definitely make some improvements to our water system. I would install automatic air release valves to prevent the pipe blockages and ensure a consistent water supply. I would also implement a rainwater harvesting system as a backup, using sand and charcoal filtration to remove any impurities.

This is just the first chapter of my water stories. Over the years, I've learned even more about the various ways people access and manage this precious resource.