GEORGE TOWN – Consumers in Penang are urged to use water sparingly and get habituated to conserving it as the recurrence of heavy floods at Baling in neighbouring Kedah threatens to disrupt the raw water supply through the Sg Muda river that flows between both states.
In a statement, the Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) urged consumers to be mindful and announced that the agency is stepping up the monitoring of the raw water quality in the river.
Baling is located near an upstream area of the river.
Penang extracts water from the section of Sg Muda that is within its borders.
The water quality level has dropped slightly due to signs of water turbidity at the Muka Sauk Lahar Tiang water intake station in Kepala Batas,
This is attributed to mudflows, which now accompany the floods in Baling, said the PBAPP chief executive officer Datuk Jaseni Maidensa.
The main water processing plant at Sg Dua in Butterworth has been placed on guarded status to ensure that water turbidity is mitigated there.
As of 6am, there were no reports of major water disruptions although water pressure may be affected in Bukit Dumbar, Balik Pulau and Bukit Mertajam, as well as Bukit Minyak, he said.
The Sg Dua plant supplies water to almost 80% of some 1.9 million consumers in Penang.
Meanwhile, state executive councillor Phee Boon Poh urged the people to be mindful of possible flash floods due to the wet spell, which is forecast to hit the northern region.
He said that the public can help themselves by ensuring that the drainage system is not clogged and to stop dumping waste indiscriminately.
Earlier, Meteorological Department director-general Muhammad Helmi Abdullah issued a warning that Malaysia, like other parts of the Western Pacific region, is experiencing a mild La Nina weather condition, which results in higher rainfall.
It is expected to last until the end of the year. Although it is seen as mild, the intense effects on certain districts may vary over time.
At present, the rainfall distribution is higher than normal.
The current humid weather, Muhammad Helmi said, is contributed by the “monsoon break” phenomenon.
“During the monsoon break, the wind does not blow predominantly from the southwest direction. Instead, its movement gets weaker and, at times, is concentrated only at certain parts,” he reportedly said.
Civil society members here have reminded the Penang government to place more importance on addressing climate change, which has resulted in severe weather patterns. – The Vibes, September 9, 2022
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