BATU KAWAN – The water level at the Air Itam dam on Penang Island has decreased to 66.7%, but it is still sufficient to supply water for up to 66 days, including during the scheduled four-day water supply disruption in the state starting January 10.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said that the significant decrease is attributed to a recent pipe leakage incident in Sg Perai, Butterworth, as it required an increased production of treated water from the Air Itam reservoir compared to the usual amount.
“It is found that the current water level at the Air Itam Dam is 66.7%, and I was informed that the incident in Sg Perai caused a decline compared to the previous water level of 83% because the production of treated water was around 22 million litres per day (MLD) before this.
“However, during the pipe leakage incident, the Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) had to increase the production of treated water from the Air Itam reservoir to 40 MLD due to disrupted supply in several areas at that time, to be distributed to those experiencing water supply problems.
“It is expected that the water percentage at the Air Itam dam will continue to decrease to 57% in the coming week, during the scheduled water supply disruption, as PBAPP needs to extract more water for treatment from there for distribution to affected residents until January 15,” he told reporters after the Capstone Business Suite project’s groundbreaking ceremony here today.
Chow said this when asked to comment on the significant drop in water level at the Air Itam dam compared to two weeks ago.
Chow added that, for the time being, the state government does not plan to request cloud seeding operations due to the reduction in water level at the Air Itam reservoir because it has not reached a critical level.
“It is not easy to carry out cloud seeding; many factors must be considered, and I also believe it has not reached a critical level. However, I urge residents in this state to continue conserving water, especially as the Chinese New Year approaches, which is typically a dry season,” he said.
A total of 590,000 water users, including non-domestic consumers, are expected to be affected by the water supply disruption caused by the closure of the Sg Dua Water Treatment Plant to allow for the replacement of two damaged 1,200mm valves.
The PBAPP announced that the 96-hour scheduled disruption will begin at 6am on January 10 and end at 6am on January 14, and will include other ancillary works at 22 locations across Penang. – January 6, 2024