GEORGE TOWN, November 4 – Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Pinang Sdn Bhd (PBAPP) has expressed its willingness to collaborate with all schools in Penang to help them save water and reduce costs. Recognizing that water conservation is a rational, sustainable, and environmentally friendly solution, PBAPP aims to assist schools in implementing various measures to reduce water usage.
These measures include installing water-saving devices (WSDs) in school toilets to automatically conserve water with each use, educating and reminding students about water-saving practices, reducing overall water consumption for gardening, cleaning, and maintenance work, banning the washing of cars or motorcycles on school premises, implementing water conservation projects like rainwater harvesting systems for gardening or installing toilet systems that minimize water usage for flushing, promptly repairing or replacing leaking pipes, taps, and faucets on school premises, and contacting PBAPP to replace old school water meters that may be malfunctioning.
PBAPP acknowledges that the implementation of new “non-domestic” water tariffs in Penang in 2023 will increase the operational costs of schools. However, they would like schools and the public to consider the following facts: The previous Federal Government, on July 29, 2022, gazetted new “non-domestic” water tariffs, not PBAPP or the Penang State Government. The Federal Government re-categorized water consumption by schools as “non-domestic” in July 2022. On July 29, 2022, “non-domestic” tariffs were reviewed simultaneously for all 11 states in Peninsular Malaysia and the federal territories of Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur, and Labuan.
On January 1, 2023, PBAPP implemented the new “non-domestic” tariffs in Penang, as gazetted by the Federal Government. On April 16, 2023, Penang Chief Minister YAB Tuan Chow Kon Yeow announced that Penang schools could apply for a 6-month water bill rebate (from April to September 2023). As of August 2023, a total of 85 Penang schools had successfully applied for the rebate, with a total projected value of about RM200,000 for the period from April to August 2023. PBAPP views the 2023 rebate as a “one-off” goodwill gesture, considering that the average “non-domestic” tariff in Penang is RM2.06 per 1,000 liters (for the first 500,000 liters per month), one of the lowest in Peninsular Malaysia.
PBAPP emphasizes that water bills account for only a small fraction of a school’s overall operational costs. However, it encourages schools to develop a culture of water-saving, given Penang’s status as a water-stressed state. PBAPP has the experience and resources to support Penang schools in their water-saving efforts and is ready to assist. School officials can contact PBAPP personnel for support and assistance.
