We Went For A Workout At A Sewage Plan In KL & Felt Our Cortisol Levels Exit The Chat

While places like IWK Eco Park offer a momentary escape from urban life, green areas like it are actually rare in Kuala Lumpur.

If somebody were to say, “hey wanna get active this weekend… at a sewage treatment plant?” you’d probably pass and mute the chat forever, right?

But that’s more or less how we ended up at IWK Eco Park in Pantai Dalam last Sunday for Rise & Revive, a community wellness event hosted by Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) that brought fitness lovers together for a good cause.

The event was organised in collaboration with Prahara Studio as part of IWK’s Sahabat Istimewa initiative, which aims to empower persons with disabilities (PWDs) and promote inclusivity.

Among those who took part were members of Persatuan Kebajikan Ahsana Kuala Lumpur (PKAKL) and the Malaysia Federation of the Deaf (MFD), as well as members of the public who purchased tickets to support the cause.

A total of RM8,330 was raised through these ticket sales, and all of it went directly to PKAKL and MFD.

The early-morning program kicked off with a lineup of wellness sessions led by familiar faces from the local fitness scene, and it didn’t take long before everyone was breaking a sweat. 

There was yoga with Atilia Haron, Flyjam with Mimifly, and a Poundfit session with fitness coach Hanis, and it ended on a feel-good note with live performances by Mimifly and Atilia.

The Park Above a Sewage Plant

After the workout sessions wrapped up, we took the chance to spend the rest of our afternoon exploring the surrounding park.

At a glance, IWK Eco Park feels like just another calm pocket of green in the city. But what makes the park truly unique is actually what lies beneath it.

The whole park sits directly above the Pantai 2 Regional Sewage Treatment Plant, which is Malaysia’s first ever underground sewage treatment facility.

Down below, the plant quietly handles wastewater from about 1.43 million residents across Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya. But up on ground level, you’d never really guess any of that is going on unless you look very-very closely.

Here you’ll instantly feel your cortisol levels drop as you’re surrounded by lush greenery, flowing streams, and a pleasant view of the city peeking above the treeline.

More than 2,000 forest trees are planted across the park grounds, alongside community gardens growing vegetables, herbs, fruits, and flowers — all nourished by bio-organic materials produced by the treatment plant itself.

Even the park’s water features run on treated bio-effluent water that’s already been cleaned by the plant below.

A City Running Low on Green

While parks like this offer a momentary escape from urban life, green spaces like it are actually rare in Kuala Lumpur.

Since 1950, KL city has lost an estimated 50% of its green areas. Today, public parks and green spaces account for just 1,808.7 hectares or less than 8% of the city’s total land area.

But the good news is, there are signs that things could change for the better.

In 2023, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) shared their vision for a greener, more liveable KL and aims to transform the nation’s capital into a “City for All”.

If everything goes according to plan, a 200km network of parks will soon criss-cross the city by 2040 — giving KL folks easy access to more greenery and open areas to enjoy.

Source: We’ve Found A Hidden ‘Green’ Gem Amid KL’s Hustle & Bustle IWK Eco Park @ Pantai Dalam sedia pelbagai kemudahan untuk komuniti Pantai Dalam kembali 'harum' Monitoring Urban Green Space (UGS) Changes by Using High Resolution Aerial Imagery: A Case Study of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Public Urban Green Spaces Provision in Kuala Lumpur: Is Each Area Treated Equal? 10 th MALAYSIA STATISTICS CONFERENCE 2023 Looking Beyond GDP: Toward Social Well-being and Environmental Sustainability Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2040 Home KL’s new 15-year plan sets building size and height limits, adds a plot ratio incentive to improve city by 2040