Penang chief minister Chow Kon Yeow said the Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) would be carrying out 23 upgrading projects during this period to improve the state’s water delivery system.
“The works will only take 18 hours, but the process of getting water flowing again takes time. Some will have their water supply restored earlier, depending on the area,” he told reporters at Komtar here.
He said major works include the final pipe connection across Sungai Perai in Ampang Jajar, spanning 360m, and pipe upgrading works near the Sungai Dua water treatment plant.
Other works involve repairing and upgrading treated water pump systems and main water pipelines throughout the state, Chow said.
Chow said the state and PBAPP had agreed to carry out all 23 projects simultaneously to minimise long-term disruptions and enhance water supply sustainability.
He said executing all the work at the same time would not be an issue, citing the successful completion of 18 similar repairs previously.
“We are looking at 88% recovery of water supply within 48 hours.
“The repairs are a large investment of RM25 million by PBAPP,” he said, adding that the goal is to ensure better water pressure, stronger supply and faster recovery during future disruptions.
PBAPP, in a handout, said the repairs included replacing sections of a 3.5m-deep riverbed pipe, installed in 1997 by the Penang Water Authority before PBAPP took over.
Two sections will be replaced with an over-the-river piping system, while another two will be repaired at a later stage.
It said nearly 1,000 PBAPP personnel would be deployed for repairs, water tanker operations and customer support during the three-day disruption in water supply.
PBAPP said 88% of the 341,708 affected accounts (about 300,000 users) should have their water restored within 48 hours.
The upgrades are also expected to benefit 465,000 users statewide.
PBAPP advised residents to store sufficient water for 24, 48 or 60 hours, depending on their area.
Timur Laut will be most affected by the water disruption, accounting for 38.2% of impacted accounts, followed by Seberang Perai Tengah (22.7%), Seberang Perai Selatan (11.4%), Barat Daya (6.4%) and Seberang Perai Utara (6.1%).