THE Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) is constructing a new dissolved air flotation (DAF) water treatment plant within the existing premises of the Bukit Panchor Water Treatment Plant.
The RM20 million water supply project is being implemented in Bukit Panchor to alleviate water supply issues in south Seberang Perai (SPS).
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the new DAF plant would have a maximum design capacity of 10 million litres per day (MLD).
“Work has started since Dec 8 last year and is scheduled for completion in August this year.
“The new DAF plant can cater to some 4,000 water consumer accounts and improve water pressure in certain areas in SPS.
“PBAPP has been directed to implement more water supply projects to meet higher water demand and address water supply issues in SPS.
“Understandably, PBAPP has operational and budget constraints. Nevertheless, the Penang government is prioritising a post-pandemic socioeconomic resurgence so that we may achieve the goals of our Penang2030 vision,” Chow said in his speech before taking part in the groundbreaking ceremony of the project at the Bukit Panchor Water Treatment Plant (WTP) today.
The new DAF plant would draw raw water from Sungai Kechil.
Notably, PBAPP invested RM11.5 million in 2020 and 2021 to upgrade the Sungai Dua WTP in Seberang Perai.
The Sungai Dua WTP is the state’s largest WTP and it supplies 63.37% of the volume of treated water that is consumed in Seberang Perai daily.
“In January and February 2023, this plant produced an average of 1,008 MLD of treated water as compared to 909 MLD in 2019 (before the pandemic).
“In January this year, PBAPP also commissioned the RM1.2 million Permatang Tinggi Pump Station in SPS,” he said.
Chow added that the daily water consumption in Penang surged by 10.4% in three years, from 843 MLD in 2019 to 931 MLD in May 2022.
“In the preceding nine-year period, consumption increased by only 7.8%, from 782 MLD to 843 MLD in 2019.
“The extraordinarily high water demand has impacted water supply services to some areas located in higher ground and end-of-line areas in SPS,” Chow said.
PBAPP chief executive officer K. Pathmanathan said the state’s existing nine WTP have a total maximum design capacity of 1,599 MLD as of February this year.
“We expect to commission this new RM20 million DAF plant in August 2023.
“It will increase our maximum treatment capacity by 10 MLD in SPS,” Pathmanathan said.
He added that PBAPP is implementing another project that costs RM30.69 million, called Package 12A of the Sungai Dua WTP.
“Package 12A will see the construction of an additional water treatment module in the Sungai Dua WTP, with a maximum design capacity of 114 MLD.
“Work on Package 12A commenced on March 15 last year and this new module should be functional by December this year.
“This means that the maximum design capacity of the Sungai Dua WTP will be further boosted, from 1,228 MLD now to 1,342 MLD by end of this year.
“The commissioning of Package 12A will allow PBAPP to produce more treated water in the Sungai Dua WTP and pump more treated water to SPS,” he said.
Pathmanathan also mentioned other key PBAPP water treatment works which are being planned for commissioning before 2030.
They include the new Mengkuang Dam WTP, the new Sungai Kerian WTP, and the Sungai Perai Water Supply Scheme.
Also present were Penang Transport and Infrastructure Committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari, Sungai Bakap assemblyman Datuk Dr Amar Pritpal Abdullah, Jawi assemblyman H’ng Mooi Lye, and Bukit Tambun assemblyman Goh Choon Aik.
Story by Christopher Tan
Pix by Siti Nuratikah Rahmat
Video by Siew Chia En