BUTTERWORTH: Penang will invest RM1.115 billion over the next four years to ensure a sustainable clean water supply for the state.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) had invested RM69.15 million to implement the Water Contingency Plan 2030 (WCP 2030) for the benefit of some 1.74 million people in the state.
"This administration will to up with another RM1.115 billion in investment in the next four years to ensure continuous, clean water supply for Penang.
"PBAPP is planning to complete another six projects under the WCP 2030 to meet the 10 per cent increase in water consumption," he said after the official opening of Package 12A of the Sungai Dua Water Treatment Plant (WTP) here today.
Present was PBAPP chief executive officer Datuk K. Pathmanathan.
Package 12A, a component of the WCP 2030, was completed recently. With the commissioning of Package 12A, PBAPP has effectively increased Penang's overall maximum water treatment capacity by 114 MLD (million litres/day), from 1,612 MLD to 1,726 MLD.
With increased treatment capacity, PBAPP will now focus on upgrading Penang's water distribution network (or pipeline network) to deliver more treated water to its customers.
Chow, who is PBAPP chairman, said PBAPP would focus on building a large WTP in each of the three districts on the mainland so that the Sungai Dua WTP could be used for the island's needs.
Meanwhile, Pathmanathan said PBAPP was prioritising the completion of all eight projects in the WCP 2030. Besides Package 12A, another project completed was at Bukit Panchor.
"PBAPP is keeping the WCP 2030 goal in sight and working to stay on schedule," he added.
Among the projects in the WCP 2030 include the building of a new WTP with a 114 MLD capacity to cater for water supply from the expanded Mengkuang Dam for Seberang Prai Tengah.
Another two WTPs will also be built at Sungai Kerian and Sungai Muda to provide 114 MLD each of treated water for Seberang Prai Selatan and Seberang Prai Utara respectively.
Three major pipelines will also be built, including a 13km pipeline from the Sungai Dua WTP to Butterworth, a 3.9km pipeline from MacCallum to Bukit Dumbar on the island and a Sungai Prai river crossing pipeline in Seberang Prai.
Pathmanathan said the three major pipelines, costing RM189 million, will be implemented in 2025 and 2026.
When completed, he said the pipelines will allow PBAPP to pump water at higher pressure from the Sungai Dua WTP to 465,000 consumers.
"The pipeline projects will help to improve water supply services for 67.4 per cent of Penang's 689,786 registered water consumers in all five districts," he said.