GEORGE TOWN, February 2 – Fire-fighting activities in the Pulau Burung landfill are compounding the current low water pressure issue at several higher ground and end-of-pipeline residential areas in Seberang Perai Selatan (SPS).
A peat fire had broken out in the landfill on 12.1.2022. Firemen have drawn water from nearby rivers while the Bomba Sukarela and MBSP have been taking water from PBAPP hydrants located around the landfill area. Inadvertently, such fire-fighting activities have reduced water pressure to some areas in SPS.
The key factor that is exacerbating the low water pressure issue is hot weather combined with high pre-Chinese New Year (CNY) water demand. Due to high temperatures, more consumers in Seberang Perai have been using more water on a daily basis. In particular, the Chinese community have been preparing for Chinese New Year festivities.
As people celebrate this Chinese New Year, this annual festive high consumption trend is likely to continue until mid-February 2022. Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Pinang Sdn Bhd (PBAPP) is striving to address the low water pressure issue in SPS. Water demand in SPS has increased significantly due to socioeconomic growth in recent years.
As a result, the residents of several housing areas, such as Residensi Merbok, Taman Seruling Emas, Taman Widuri, Sungai Duri and nearby areas, have complained about low water pressure. All these areas are located on higher ground and/or at the end-of-water supply pipelines.
As mentioned in a media release dated 25.1.2022, PBAPP is deploying resources and implementing short-term water supply engineering measures to alleviate the situation. These measures include:
- Improving and re-configuring the existing water supply pipeline network to ensure good and consistent water pressure.
- Connecting “dead pipes” at strategic locations to sustain good distribution pressure.
- Intensifying checks for leaks, valve damage or “air locks” in key mains and pipelines, and carrying out “de-airing” work as required.
- Repairing (or replacing) all leaking pipelines and valves as quickly as possible.
- Installation of 13 static community water tanks at Taman Widuri, Taman Seruling Emas, Sungai Duri, Taman Seri Putera, Sungai Duri Indah, Sungai Baong and the Seberang Perai Prison Complex.
- Deploying water tankers when a PBAPP pressure recorder detects a water supply disruption that lasts for more than 24 hours.
Kindly note that the low water pressure issue in SPS cannot be completely resolved until the implementation of a comprehensive long-term water supply engineering programme to increase treated water production and upgrade the existing water distribution network.
PBAPP is proposing the implementation of the following 5 projects over the next 3 to 5 years to ensure water supply security and stability throughout Seberang Perai until 2030:
- Phase 2, Sungai Dua Water Treatment Plant (WTP) sedimentation tanks upgrade project;
- Package 12A, Sungai Dua WTP (a new water treatment module project);
- Phase 1, Mengkuang Dam WTP project;
- Phase 1, Sungai Muda WTP project; and the
- Sungai Perai Water Supply Scheme: a pre-treatment process project.
The combined potential yield of all these projects is an additional 569 million litres of water per day (MLD). Moreover, PBAPP will also need to upgrade its water supply network to supply more water to more consumers at suitable pressures. All the proposed water supply engineering projects are subject to approval by the Penang State Government.
In summary, PBAPP is working to address the low water pressure issues faced by some water consumers at several areas in SPS. However, this seemingly isolated low pressure issue is directly related to the bigger challenge of sustaining of good water supply services in Seberang Perai towards 2030.
Penang and PBAPP must invest hundreds of millions of ringgit to ensure sufficient water supply and stable water supply services for all consumers in Seberang Perai in the future. And, it will take a few years to implement the required water supply engineering projects.
