PENANG, 28 August 2019 – The Penang State Government and Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Pinang Sdn Bhd (PBAPP) are seeking the commissioning of the Sungai Perak Raw Water Transfer Scheme (SPRWTS) by 2025.
Penang needs the SPRWTS urgently because Sungai Muda, the primary raw water resource for Kedah and Penang, may only reliably meet both states’ raw water needs until 2025. This finding was stated in the independent “Masterplan Study for Potable Water Supply in Penang until Year 2050” that was commissioned by PBAPP in 2009.
Accordingly, the study proposed the implementation SPRWTS to tap a second major raw water resource for Penang. Since 1973, Sungai Muda has served as Penang’s primary raw water resource. Today, more than 80% of Penang’s raw water is abstracted from this river.
In 2018, PBAPP produced 1,073 million litres per day (MLD) of treated water per day by abstracting raw water from Sungai Muda and other smaller raw water resources in Penang.
Looking ahead, Penang’s water demand is projected to reach 1,483 MLD by 2030; 1,696 MLD by 2040 and 1,884 MLD by 2050. It is not possible for PBAPP to abstract sufficient raw water from Sungai Muda to address such future water demand.
Moreover, Kedah is undertaking the 2,592 MLD Jeniang Water Transfer Project, ostensibly to abstract more water from Sungai Muda in the near future, upstream of PBAPP’s Lahar Tiang Intake in Penang.
Since 2011, the Penang State Government and PBAPP has been pursuing the implementation of the SPRWTS, not only for the benefit of Penang, but for the benefit of North Perak as well.
However, the record shows that previous Federal Government failed to implement the SPRWTS in the period 2012 – 2018.
On 25.8.2019 and 26.8.2019, mass media reports quoted Finance Minister YB Tuan Lim Guan Eng as saying that the ministry’s Public Private Partnership Unit (Unit Kerjasama Awam Swastaor UKAS) will carry out a detailed assessment of the project.
YAB Tuan Lim, who also serves as the MP for Bagan, was also quoted as stating that the SPRWTS would be evaluated in collaboration with the public and private sectors, conducted through open tender proposals.
PBAPP would like to thank the Minister for making a long-awaited announcement on a key water supply project that will benefit two states: Perak and Penang in the Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER).
Sungai Perak is a relatively under-utilised NCER raw water resource, and the SPRWTS has the potential to ensure water supply sustainability in Perak and Penang until 2050.
Make no mistake, Penang needs the SPRWTS to ensure that it has sufficient water to realise its Vision 2030 aspirations of becoming a “family-focused green and smart state that inspires the nation”.
When it is implemented, the SPRWTS will also mitigate Penang’s risks of water crises in this age of “climate change” when the duration and intensity of dry weather spells are becoming more unpredictable.
As such, it is hoped that the Federal Government, through UKAS, will act promptly and decisively to initiate the implementation of the SPRWTS soon. The original specified timeline for the implementation of the SPRWTS is 6 years; and Year 2025 is exactly 6 years away.
Kindly note that the SPRWTS comprises the following phases for Penang:
| Phases | Projects | By Year |
| 1 | · Construction of a new 14.8km long and 4.25m diameter water tunnel across the highlands dividing the Sungai Perak and Sungai Kerian basins.
· Commissioning of Phase 1 of the new Sungai Kerian Water Treatment Plant (WTP) to produce 250 MLD of treated water. |
2025 |
| 2 | Commissioning of Phase 2 of the Sungai Kerian WTP
(250 MLD) |
2030 |
| 3 | Commissioning of Phase 3 of the Sungai Kerian WTP
(250 MLD) |
2040 |
| 4 | Commissioning of Phase 4 of the Sungai Kerian WTP
(250 MLD) |
2050 |
| Total projected yield of SPRWTS (until 2050) for Penang is 1,000 MLD of treated water. | ||
