Chief minister Chow Kon Yeow said although the water level at the Air Itam dam has dropped, Penangites need not worry as the other two main dams – at Teluk Bahang on the island and Mengkuang in Bukit Mertajam – and the smaller dam at Bukit Panchor are still able to supply water to the whole state.

He said the Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) is monitoring the water capacity at all the dams to ensure residents get sufficient supply for their daily use.

He said PBAPP is also monitoring the water level in Sungai Muda, which supplies 85% of raw water to Penang.

“The Mengkuang dam is a strategic reservoir for storing water because it is not used for daily treatment. Instead, it is used during crises, and currently, the water level in the dam exceeds 90%.

“So, residents need not worry about (water) disruptions because the dam levels are still under control and can supply sufficient water, unless there are unforeseen circumstances, such as floods in Baling, burst pipes and so on. Those are beyond our control,” he said.

Chow, who is also the PBAPP chairman, told reporters this after attending the bubur lambuk cooking programme at Masjid Jamek Pokok Machang in Tasek Gelugor here today.

He said to sustain the effective capacity of the Air Itam dam, PBAPP has implemented the Air Itam dam action plan 2024 (Aidap 2024) since February by reducing water extraction from the dam.

According to him,previously about 10,000 consumers, both residential and commercial, obtained their supply from the Air Itam dam, but this has been reduced by 50%, with the other 5,000 consumers now getting their water supply from the Sungai Dua water treatment plant.

He also hoped that the rainy season from April to June would be able to replenish the dams.

Yesterday, Chow said the state government was monitoring the water level and capacity of the Air Itam dam, which only has enough water for another 30 days if it does not rain.