GEORGE TOWN – Penang has to diversify its raw water sources to future-proof the state’s supply as demand will increase due to the growing manufacturing sector and population, says an executive councillor.
State Infrastructure, Transport and Digital exco Zairil Khir Johari said Penang has been witnessing a huge increase in demand for water supply over the past four years, up by 10% since 2019 – which is unusually high.
“Usually it takes 10 years to increase by 10%. So, managing the water stress that Penang is facing is something we need to focus on.
“Making sure that we (state government) can fulfil the increase in demand and the projected demand in the future is what we are working on right now,” he said in an exclusive interview with Scoop.
Zairil said it is necessary to include the untapped river networks in Penang if there is a supply disruption at Tasek Gelugor’s Sg Dua water treatment plant (WTP), which supplies water to 80% of the consumers in the northern state.
In January, Penang underwent a four-day-long water infrastructure replacement and upgrading works, which included the replacement of two water valves in the plant, which led to users putting up with supply disruptions.
The state also has the Bukit Panchor WTP in Nibong Tebal that supplies treated water to residents in the mainland’s southern district.
To alleviate the strain on the Sg Dua WTP, Zairil said the state is planning on building four more plants in Sg Kerian, Mengkuang dam, Sg Perai and Sg Muda as part of the Penang Raw Water Contingency Plan 2030, unveiled last year.
In addition, the federal government-owned Sg Perak Water Transfer Scheme, which is awaiting the green light from Perak, would help further diversify water sources for the state, he added.
Zairil also said Penang would also explore other opportunities such as water reclamation, where wastewater is recycled for industrial use as they are consuming 200 to 300 million litres per day (MLD).
“If we can substitute potable water with reclaimed water, it would also solve (supply issues), and potable water can go into domestic usage. We will have more water in Penang.”
The exco also said that the state government is exploring the idea of abstracting groundwater in the future, and it has applied for federal grants to fund the relevant studies.
Interconnected supply complements Air Itam dam’s service
Separately, Zairil, who is also Tg Bungah assemblyman, said Penang’s interconnected water supply system would complement the 62-year-old Air Itam dam if the areas it serves – Air Itam, Paya Terubong and Green Lane – see an increased population in the future.
“Our water system in Penang is a reticulated water system, where it is all interconnected. One dam (does not only serve) one particular area.
“At the end of the day, water (from various sources) is mixed together. Plus, we are also able to increase and decrease the coverage area of any dam – including Air Itam dam – depending on the supply,” he said when asked whether the dam can serve the population in the three areas that are expected to increase with the number of upcoming housing projects.
The dam, which is the smallest in the state, currently serves 170,000 consumers in the three areas, where 100,000 of them are in Air Itam alone, which is the most dense locality on the island.
The dam receives 15 MLD per day from three main intakes – Balik Pulau, Side Stream, and Sg Pinang West. – August 4, 2024