CHIEF Minister Chow Kon Yeow wants the Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) to do more next year to ensure uninterrupted provision of water across the state following the mass supply cuts next month to facilitate much-needed upgrading and repairs.
Up to 600,000 households or 80% of Penang’s consumers will not have pipe water, in some places for up to four days from January 10.
Chow said the public expected better performance from PBAPP next year after the repairs are done. He said the water agency must check its pipe system daily.
As it is, many consumers already experienced unscheduled disruptions between December 18 until 26 when an underwater pipe in the Sg Prai burst twice.
Chow explained that it took 55.5 hours from December 19 to plug the leak with a clamped steel plate due to the following three key challenges.
Firstly, the pipeline repair works could only be carried out 3.5 metres underwater by a team of qualified commercial divers.
Dive operations to weld a plate over a hole on the pipe were hampered by faulty electrical equipment and rough river conditions.
The welded plate was then dislodged by water pressure after PBAPP tried to resume normal pumping works through the pipeline at 12.30pm on December 21.
It took 71.5 hours to recover water supply services for 99% of the 200,000 affected consumers.
It took another 18 hours to recover water supply for remaining 1% of consumers at the end-of-line and high ground neighbourhoods, due mainly to localised piping issues.
Following last week's major disruption, Chow has directed PBAPP to monitor the condition of the repaired Sungai Prai underwater pipeline daily until a permanent solution can be implemented.
In this case, the permanent solution is the laying of a “river-crossing pipeline” that will be supported by a structure above the river surface.
Implementation of this permanent solution, at an estimated cost of RM5 million, should be expedited for completion as soon as possible in 2024 to enable regular inspections and prevent a recurrence.
The PBAPP needs to also check and report the conditions of other underwater pipelines in the state.
PBAPP should commission specialised underwater inspections at these pipelines to ascertain if there is a risk of a similar mishap.
Chow also asked the agency to commission a team of specialists to regularly inspect all major pipelines (900mm and above) that are above ground.
It must explore methods to detect potential defects or failures at pipelines buried up to 900mm in the ground, and expedite the replacement of pipes that are outdated.
The recovery of water supply services for 590,000 consumers affected by the scheduled supply interruption from January 10 must follow the schedule that is announced, said Chow.
"Notwithstanding the findings of the post-mortem report regarding the December 2023 Sungai Perai incident, Penang expects PBAPP to do more and do better in January 2024," he said. – The Vibes, December 30, 2023.
