Penang survives first day without water as workers rush to meet repair schedule

NO MAJOR adverse incidents were detected for the most part of the first day of scheduled water cuts in Penang for crucial upgrading and repairs to the piping infrastructure across the state.

The sole exception was that the Sg Perai riverbed pipe ruptured again – the third time in three weeks after the main connection from the Sg Dua Water Treatment Plant was shut down.

This was however anticipated due to the scheduled shutdown of the main plant. It was blamed on the low pressure within a vacuum, explained the Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP).

Its chief executive officer K. Pathmanathan said that this time 16 trained divers were deployed in rapid fashion after the underwater pipe recorded the leak.

The divers are working around the clock to instal a secure clamp over a large section of the leaking pipeline.

It is a temporary measure until another component called the S-Bend is welded onto the main pipeline as a permanent feature under Sg Perai, he said.

Pathmanathan said this would be constructed as a permanent fixture, but it would take time since it requires approval from the Drainage and Irrigation Department.

“When PBAPP shut down the supply at 3.45am, the drop in water pressure dislodged the clamp we had installed on a leaking section of the 1.35m riverbed pipe,” he said.

This was the same section which burst twice in the middle of December, causing sudden disruption to water supply for 600,000 consumers over four days.

Separately, one of the two main valves under repair at the Sg Muda plant in Butterworth was completed at 10am while another is on course to be finalised by later this evening.

Pathmanathan said the valve repairs as well as ancillary works in 22 other locations throughout the state were on track.

Most of the pipes in Penang have been used on a continual basis for decades, some having been installed during the British colonial period.

Elected reps prepared to help

Meanwhile, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow kept a hectic monitoring schedule while being accompanied by state Infrastructure Development Executive Councillor Zairil Khir Johari, with visits to various locations, including Sg Perai to get a first-hand look at the maintenance works.

Chow ordered PBAPP to keep to the promised schedule while elected representatives under the state government also made various sojourns to watch over their constituents.

Bukit Bendara MP Syerleena Abdul Rashid said that her service team was not only monitoring the adequacy of water containers for the people, but also providing food to the vulnerable such as senior citizens, the sick and the disabled, as well as needy orphans.

Balik Pulau MP Datuk Muhammed Bakhtiar Wan Chik said that the elected reps were prepared this time, unlike when the burst pipe incident happened last month.

Bayan Lepas assemblyman Datuk Azrul Mahathir Aziz was also seen moving around his constituency with a large crate of mineral water bottles for distribution.

For now, 88 water tankers have been deployed around the state. Each constituency also has a mega static tanker placed for consumers to access water from there if there is a need.

A glance at George Town revealed that the majority of laundromats and car wash service providers were closed, while several popular eateries also took a rest.

There was a discernably reduced load of vehicular traffic on the roads while shopping malls detected a lower rate of foot traffic.

People going outstation, flocking to Batu Ferringhi

Hotels also recorded less than satisfactory occupancy, especially in the city area.

Datuk Tony Goh, chairman of the Malaysian Association of Hotels’ (MAH) Penang chapter, said that hotels in the affected areas, except for Tanjung Bungah and Batu Ferringhi, are registering an average of 40% occupancy rate, which is seen as lower compared to the overall ocupancy last year.

Hotels in the Batu Ferringhi tourism belt are expected to record higher occupancies from tomorrow, as more people opt to stay there after their homes’ storage tanks deplete.

The popular beachfront area is not being subjected to water disruption as it receives supply from the Teluk Bahang Dam on the north-western side of the island which is not affected. 

Goh’s counterpart in Kedah, Eugene Alan Dass said he was informed that many Penangites have flocked to the Klang valley and Haadyai in southern Thailand.

However, he expressed dismay that both Alor Setar and Langkawi have yet to record a greater flow of visitors from Penang despite the scheduled water cuts there.

PBAPP in its latest statement said that it was “fighting” to meet the schedule to have water supply back in the majority of the affected areas by 6am on Friday.

Engineer Azlan Ibrahim said that it all depends on the experience and skills of PBAPP in managing the water pressure, air pockets and pumping capacity to ensure that the treated water flow is restored smoothly.

He warned that some localities may experience a technical default as their in-house pumps or piping systems may have corroded due to the wear-and-tear factor.

“Remember, our water pipes have been working non-stop for the longest of time. We must take into account the ageing factor,” said Azlan. – The Vibes, January 10, 2024.