Penang orders PBAPP to plan faster water restoration in January

 

Chief minister Chow Kon Yeow said the water authority will deploy 55 tankers to transport water to affected consumers according to fixed schedules. (Bernama pic)

GEORGE TOWN: The state government has ordered the Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) to plan for faster restoration of water supply services after the 96-hour scheduled disruption in January, says chief minister Chow Kon Yeow.

Chow said the state government understands that the replacement of 1,200mm valves at the Sungai Dua water treatment plant is a major maintenance exercise that must be done properly to reduce the risks of major breakdowns.

“However, we still want PBAPP to minimise public inconvenience. The PBAPP team is planning to gradually restore water supply services for the 590,000 affected consumers in stages, within a timeframe ranging from 48 hours to 96 hours.

“The overall goal is to ensure that more than 50% of the affected consumers get water supply restored within 72 hours,” he told a press conference here today.

Chow said he has also instructed PBAPP to restore water supply for the big non-domestic consumers in Batu Kawan, Bukit Minyak, Butterworth, Perai, George Town and the Bayan Lepas industrial zone within the “shortest possible time”.

He said PBAPP will deploy 55 tankers to transport water to consumers according to fixed schedules, and that it is still seeking aid from other state water operators for additional tankers.

“In the past, PBAPP had sent out our tankers to many states, whether for water disruption problems or floods.

“Now, our appeal to the nation’s other water operators is to help us to restore and deliver (water supply) more quickly by sending more tankers,” he said, adding that 60 static tanks will also be installed in targeted areas.

Chow also called on consumers in areas where water supply is restored a day or two earlier to prudently consume water for the benefit of those in other areas.

Meanwhile, PBAPP CEO K Pathmanathan urged factories – already required by law to store water for two days – to store water for an additional day.

Factories are also advised to move their production schedule ahead by two days from the first and second water disruption days, he said. Doing so would help PBAPP speed up water restoration for both domestic and non-domestic consumers.

However, Pathmanathan assured the factories that restoring their water supply would not take more than two days.

“From our calculations, on the first day (of the water restoration process) we will receive 60% (of the water supply), while on the second, we will get up to 80% or almost 90%.

“But if they (factories) use water according to their usual rates, water supply restoration will take more time,” he said.

Pathmanathan also said eight water tankers would be mobilised for hospitals, especially dialysis centres, and for schools and funeral parlours. - FMT