Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the water disruption in the state next week which was announced by the Penang Water Supply Corporation was for crucial maintenance and is scheduled to happen at the Sungai Dua Water Treatment Plant in January, leading to a scheduled 96-hour water disruption from Jan 10 to 14.
The shut down aims to replace two leaking 1,200mm control valves and prevent future disruptions.
Chow also mentions SPAN regulations requiring factories to have a two-day water storage capacity. PBAPP can only guarantee water resumption by the end of the second or third day.
The state government ensures continued water supply to hospitals and dialysis centers during the disruption, with efforts to mobilse water supply to residential homes.
PBAPP chief executive officer K. Pathmanathan also confirmed that several other repair works are scheduled to happen during the shutdown.
Chow said while this scheduled operation may raise questions among consumers, especially factories, it was important that it was done to curb potential damage to daily lives or businesses.
“The scheduled four-day water disruption is inclusive of the whole operation; from the day the water is cut until full resumption across all the affected areas.
“Some areas are even expected to receive water on the second day, some on the third day, and for those locations at the end of the pipes, may only receive it on the last day.
“We have given a one-month notice, so, we hope that the consumers can take this opportunity to prepare themselves for the disruption.
“As for the factories, it is part of the National Water Services Commission (SPAN) regulations where these premises are required to have water storage that could last for two days.
“In any disruption, PBAPP will take many hours on the first day and from the second day onwards, it is usually working towards recovery.
“So, PBAPP can only guarantee the resumption of water at the end of the second or third day, which means that the 48-hour water storage should be sufficient for the factories to operate,” Chow said during a press conference after attending the Christmas celebrations called ‘Hope is Here’ at The TOP Komtar earlier this morning.
Yesterday, state Transport and Infrastructure Committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari, told a press conference that the maintenance work was a long-overdue project as some of the valves, aged 50 years or so, required replacement to avoid bigger problems in the future.
