GEORGE TOWN: There is no immediate threat of another shutdown at the Sungai Dua water treatment plant, said Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP).
Earlier, several viral postings and messages alleged that the high turbidity of raw water from Sungai Muda today might cause the plant to shut down again.
PBAPP said in a Facebook post this afternoon the Sungai Dua water treatment plant was operating at optimal capacity.
It said it was continuously monitoring the water quality from Sungai Muda.
"PBAPP is aware that there are some viral FB posts and messages alleging that the high turbidity of raw water from Sungai Muda today may cause another shutdown of the Sungai Dua water treatment plant.
"The following data indicates there is no threat of a shutdown as at 5pm today. The current turbidity of raw water from Sungai Muda is 66.7 Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU) and production of treated water at the plant is at 994 million litres per day," it said.
NTU refers to the concentration of suspended solids in the water. A reading above 3,000 renders the raw water untreatable.
PBAPP said it would issue an urgent notice if the turbidity affected the operations of the water plant.
On Monday night, PBAPP announced that water supply had been fully restored in the state after six days of disruption brought about by the shutting down of the Sungai Dua water treatment plant.
The treatment plant was shut down last Wednesday due to abnormally high turbidity of raw water from Sungai Muda following the Baling floods.
As a result, 80 per cent, or 528,000, of 660,000 account holders were without water.
The unscheduled water disruption caused chaos as people emptied store shelves of bottled water.
Elected representatives also scrambled to look for water for their angry constituents.
Two days later, an unscheduled water supply disruption caused by a broken pipe affected several areas in Bukit Dumbar and Gelugor, here.
Consumers took to PBAPP's Facebook page to lash out at the state water authority.