GEORGE TOWN – As Penang residents struggle with restricted water supply following the Baling floods, a water expert has asserted the importance of converting seawater into drinking water to meet the future needs of the population.
Water Watch Penang president Prof Chan Ngai Weng said that the desalination process must take place now if the state wants to maintain an efficient rate of supply to consumers.
He added that water tariffs would need to be raised significantly if Penang is serious about the idea.
The Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) academic said Penang is paying among the lowest rates in the region. Although it is a boon to entice foreign direct investors, he said the state’s fragile reality demands that there be more capital investment towards protecting and sustaining the state’s water resources.
It is getting tough for the state because both neighbours Kedah and Perak are reluctant to cooperate to meet Penang’s needs, Chan said in an interview.
The USM academic said that even the United Nations’ report on sustainable practices has advocated a tariff hike.
The model can be tailored on the basis of consumption, whereby the more one consumes piped water, the more one needs to pay for it, he said.
We have no choice. Having a desalination plant is closer than what we think.”
Chan said that he is made to understand Penang is close to establishing a testing facility for desalination. The state now needs to determine how many plants are required to meet long-term demand.
Meanwhile, water supply woes continued for the third day in the state yesterday, with many areas still unable to receive their normal supply due to poor pressure and the deactivated internal piping system.
This was despite the main intake and treatment centre of the Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) at Sg Dua having resumed its full supply load.
Yesterday afternoon, PBAPP chief executive officer Datuk Jaseni Maidinsa said the water supply disruption is expected to be fully resolved by this morning.
According to Chan, the building up of pressure and having to bypass the air locks within the pipes meant that the process to resume supply loads would require time.
Among the affected areas was Seri Delima, whose assemblyman Syerleena Abdul Rashid had been kept busy as the entire constituency had not had water supply for the past three days, with people having to rely on water tankers.
Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin had joined forces with Batu Uban assemblyman A. Kumaresan to coordinate efforts to dispatch water tankers to affected households.
Penang residents face possible low water pressure, or no water supply at all, for the next few days, potentially spoiling the long weekend in view of the Hari Raya Aidiladha celebrations tomorrow.
The state’s water supply was hit by an inflow of muddied waters, which clogged the treatment system yesterday following the tragic flooding upstream of the Gunung Inas forest reserve in Baling last Monday. – The Vibes, July 9, 2022
