The Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) said the Air Itam dam is only 38.5% full now, down from the 85% level it was in January.

It said the dam supplies water to 8,000 households and commercial premises in the Air Itam area but expects no water cuts or rationing for now.

PBAPP chief executive officer Jaseni Maidinsa said that while the two other dams on the island were at sufficient levels, Penangites should still use water wisely and sparingly.

He said this was because rainfall to replenish the Air Itam dam is only expected at the end of April, or sometime next month.

“PBAPP has also been recording consistently high water consumption in the state over the past three months while striving to implement dry weather controls to defend the effective capacities of Penang’s dams.

“On March 31, the water consumption was at almost 900 million litres per day (MLD), compared with the overall average of 860 MLD in 2021,” he said.

Separately, Jaseni said the demand for water on the island’s southern side has been high for the past three months.

He said water from a plant in Butterworth was now being channelled quickly to a reservoir on the island to meet demand.

Jaseni said another issue was low water pressure complaints in several areas in the Seberang Perai South district, the hills of Air Itam and a few blocks of apartments in Bukit Gedung.

“Short and long term measures are being worked out to ensure better water flow,” he added.

Jaseni also urged apartment management corporations to install pumps to mitigate low water pressure during dry seasons.

“Please do not use a hose unnecessarily to wash your vehicle, water your plants and gardens or clean your house or compounds,” he said.