GEORGE TOWN, Jan 29 — A scheduled water supply interruption (SWSI) affecting about 120,000 consumers in the south-west district of Penang island will start from 11.30pm tomorrow.

Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) chairman Chow Kon Yeow said the SWSI was initially approved by the state exco to commence at 11.30pm tonight.

“Due to feedback from the public to give them time to store water, PBAPP decided to postpone the SWSI to 11.30pm tomorrow,” he said during a press conference after officiating the Linear Garden upgrading works at Esplanade here this morning.

He said water supply resumed for the last affected area in Balik Pulau this morning.

He said water from the Genting Reservoir in Balik Pulau was finally released this morning after it was filled.

He said the reservoir needed more time to refill as it was at the end of line.

The SWSI will start from 11.30pm tomorrow night to allow PBAPP to implement Plan B which is pipeline diversion works at Sungai Perai.

Chow said the installation of two 600mm pipes to divert water from the 1,350mm underwater pipeline is expected to take about 16 hours.

“The diversion work is expected to complete at 2pm on Wednesday and it will take between 24 and 48 hours for water supply to resume,” he said.

He said water supply will resume first from the southern side of Bukit Dunbar before the southern part of the island.

“We hope the diversion work will complete faster and it is hoped that it will function well,” he said.

He said the two 600mm pipes will have a smaller capacity compared to the current 1,350mm pipeline so water pressure might be affected.

“We hope it is a success so that water supply to the affected areas will resume for the long term,” he said.

However, he said there will be a more permanent project to fully replace the 1,350mm underwater pipeline at Sungai Perai with a pipeline above the river.

“This project will involve four locations and we will announce the details once the plans are finalised,” he said.

He said this project will take between six to eight months before it can be implemented.

“The next disruption will happen when we are ready to complete the project, maybe in eight months,” he said.

Last Tuesday, a huge leak sprung at the 1,350mm underwater pipeline on the riverbed of Sungai Perai, leading to a sudden water supply disruption that affected about 120,000 consumers in the south-west district of Penang island.

PBAPP implemented Plan A to re-clamp the pipeline and the work was completed on Friday (January 26) but it failed to stop the leak.

PBAPP then announced Plan B, which was to connect two new 600mm pipelines to divert water from the underwater pipeline. - malaymail