PBAPP Projecting Water Demand To Rise To 1,532 MLD In 2030

GEORGE TOWN, Feb 6 (Bernama) -- The Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) is projecting water demand in the state to rise from 1,208 million litres per day (MLD) last year to 1,532 MLD in 2030.

Its chief executive officer, Datuk K. Pathmanathan said PBAPP is getting ready to supply more treated water in 2030 in line with the Penang2030 vision and the Water Contingency Plan 2030 (WCP 2030).

"WCP 2030 encompasses the development of eight strategic water infrastructures for the 2023 to 2028 period, by completing six water treatment plants as well as water treatment modules to increase the PBAPP's capacity of treated water by 602 MLD.

"In addition, to pump more water from the Sungai Dua Water Treatment Plant (LRA) to Penang through two new 1.8-metre pipelines and explore new secondary daily raw water resources for the state, namely the Expanded Mengkuang Dam (EMD), Sungai Kerian and Sungai Perai,” he said in a statement today.

He said the PBAPP will also support the implementation of six Federal water projects to reduce the risk of water shortage in Penang due to long droughts in the future, including the El Nino phenomenon and the Sungai Muda incident.

Pathmanathan said the six projects are the 440 MLD Lahar Yooi Pump House; 440 MLD dual-purpose pipeline from EMD to the Sungai Dua Canal; the off-river storage schemes, or Takungan Air Pinggiran Sungai (TAPS) in Sungai Muda; TAPS in Sungai Kerian; upgrading works on the Bukit Panchor Dam; and the new Sungai Muda Barrage in Rantau Panjang.

On the Perak-Penang Water Project that is being planned, he expects it to greatly benefit the state, including providing at least 250 MLD of treated water from Perak to Seberang Perai.

He added that the Water Supply Department of the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (PETRA) had called for a tender to appoint consultants for physical works for the project in January.

He also said that Seberang Perai Tengah (SPT) used the most amount of water in Penang last year, with an average of 209 MLD or equivalent to 24 per cent of the 872 MLD total usage in the state, followed by the Barat Daya District (199 MLD); Seberang Perai Utara (179 MLD); Timur Laut District (168 MLD); and Seberang Perai Selatan (117 MLD).

According to him, the high water usage in SPT was due to the district having the second-largest population in Penang and the presence of nine major industrial areas, such as the Perai Industrial Area and the Penang Science Park.

-- BERNAMA