During the dialogue on Tuesday, SPAN suggested several solutions to tackle the water shortage affecting 350 houses in four areas in the district – Taman Sungai Raya, Kampung Belanga Pecah, Kampung Teluk and Kampung Kisap.

Previous reports said 500 families have been affected by poor water supply for the past two years, forcing them to use water from the river for their daily usage.

SPAN chairman Charles Santiago led the commission in the meeting with 30 residents as well as Syarikat Air Darul Aman Sdn Bhd (Sada), the water supply operator in Kedah.

Another short-term solution mooted was increasing the number of static tanks at strategic locations.

The one-hour meeting also identified mid-term solutions such as building three pump houses and suction tanks at Taman Delima, Taman Sungai Raya and Kampung Kisap.

Sada will also repair underwater pipes with an allocation provided by the natural resources, environment and climate change ministry. The work is expected to be completed in 2025.

In the long term, SPAN said Pengurusan Aset Air Bhd will carry out a project to increase the Padang Saga water treatment plant’s capacity to 50 million litres a day.

The project is expected to be completed in 2028.