Penang water cuts: Over 341,000 households, businesses affected

PENANG is confident that scheduled major water cuts next month, which will see over 341,000 households and businesses without water for between 18 to 60 hours, will be handled well.

Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the concessionaire - the Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) is expected to manage the cuts better this time.

The scheduled downtime would be from April 25 until April 28, with most of the consumers expected to regain piped water supply between 18 to 48-hours.

The remaining are those who reside at the end of the supply line in the Balik Pulau district.

There are plus points compared to the last major cut between December 2023, which lingered to the next month in 2024, Chow told a press conference here.

Firstly, the Sungai Dua water treatment plant will be operating at 50% capacity, while only a total of 341,708 consumers and industries, are expected to be affected.

Secondly, PBAPP has gained much experience in handling infrastructure issues from burst pipes to demand as well as expectations from consumers here.

Industries, based on conventional understanding, have water reserves for 48 - hours are not expected to be drastically affected by the cuts.

Present were state executive councillor Zairil Khir Johari and PBAPP chief executive officer Datuk K. Pathmanathan.

Chow said that the last major cuts were hampered by an unforeseen underwater burst pipe in Ampang Jajar, which required more days to repair and upgrade.

He said that two underwater pipes would be replaced and installed overhead to ensure minimum interruptions.

The major works are focused at the Kampung Kenduk and Ampang Jajar near Butterworth where two underwater valve lines would be replaced with new ones, but installed overland.

Additionally, 23 maintenance and upgrading works would also be carried out to save time and costs.

“The works will only take 18 hours, but the process of getting water flowing again takes time. Some will have their water supply restored earlier, depending on the area."

Chow said that the two major works were the final pipe connection across Sungai Perai in Ampang Jajar, spanning 360m, and pipe upgrading works near Kampung Kendut.

Other works involve repairing and upgrading treated water pump systems and main water pipelines throughout the state, he said.

He said the state and PBAPP had agreed to carry out all 23 projects simultaneously to minimise long-term disruptions and enhance water supply sustainability.

“We are looking at 88% recovery of water supply within 48 hours," Chow stressed.

The maintenance works will cost around RM25 million and close to 800 PBAPP personnel and engineers would be deployed to ensure the process is smooth.

Also, 84 water tankers and mobile water dispensing units would be deployed to hot spots throughout the state.

The upgrades are also expected to benefit 465,000 other users in the state.

PBAPP advised residents to store sufficient water, depending on their area.

George Town will be most affected by the water disruption, accounting for 38.2% of impacted accounts, followed by Bukit Mertajam (22.7%), Nibong Tebal (11.4%), Balik Pulau (6.4%) and Kepala Batas (6.1%).

The only district largely spared is at Butterworth where the Sungai Dua treatment plant is located. - March 27, 2025.