Media reported yesterday that account holders in Sungai Ara, Sungai Bakap, and Simpang Ampat were experiencing dry taps earlier than expected.

However, PBAPP today said the Sungai Dua water treatment plant (WTP) was operating at optimal capacity, and that complaints about unscheduled water cuts were mostly from consumers in end-of-line and high ground areas.

“These issues are related to sudden high water consumption ‘downstream’ of these areas. Tens of thousands of water consumers are likely to have started their ‘last-minute’ water storage plans from yesterday,” said PBAPP CEO K Pathmanathan.

“We did not shutdown the Sungai Dua WTP or water supply yesterday or this morning. Allegations and rumours on social media claiming that we shutdown the water supply 24 hours ahead of time are not true.

“Affected consumers should not panic or be misled. They still have six hours to store water for use during the scheduled water supply interruption,” he said in a statement.

PBAPP had told Penangites to save two days’ worth of water ahead of a 60-hour scheduled water cut starting today, which will affect more than 340,000 consumers statewide.

The planned shutdown is to allow PBAPP to commission a new pipeline to replace one that ruptured under a river near Butterworth last year, which caused major disruptions. The pipe supplies 80% of the state.

Last month, chief minister Chow Kon Yeow said PBAPP would be carrying out 23 upgrading projects during the 60-hour window to improve the state’s water delivery system.

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 WTP.

Other works involve repairing and upgrading treated water pump systems and main water pipelines throughout the state, Chow said.