GEORGE TOWN – Penang is set to discuss with Perak on March 1 about the possibility of reviving a water transfer proposal between the neighbouring states.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow revealed that he has revived the proposition of Penang importing raw water derived from the Sg Perak waterway in Perak.
In 2009, Penang began to explore ways for alternative water supply resources, owing to limitations it would face in the amount of water extracted from Sg Muda in Kedah as well as from within its own watch catchment areas.
The state is also concerned about preparing for the effects of climate change, which may curtail water supply in the future.
In 2018, the then-water, energy and natural resources minister Dr Xavier Jayakumar had initiated a formal tripartite discussion between Perak, Penang and the federal government on this matter.
However, changes in the governments of both Perak and the federal side in 2020 brought the discussions to a standstill, Chow told a press conference here today.
“Nothing really moved, but now we have to resume efforts to discuss the matter,” he said.
A raw water transfer scheme would allow Penang and Perak to independently develop water treatment facilities in both states to treat raw water from Sg Perak, based on specific water demands. The project would reportedly take up to seven years to be completed.
Faced with the possibility of raw water shortage between 2025 and 2030, Penang is exploring getting supply from Perak as part of a strategy to look ahead under the stewardship of Penang Water Supply Corporation’s chief executive officer Datuk Jaseni Maidinsa.
Another option is to establish a water desalination facility to extract seawater and convert it into drinking water.
The water woes in Penang may also eventually lead to a hike in water supply charges, which the authorities hope would not be too high. – The Vibes, February 21, 2022
