THE Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) is planning to invest RM501 million in water supply projects over three years to stay ahead of the state’s water demand.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the huge investment, from this year to 2021, was needed to fund key water supply projects that were due for implementation.
The five key projects listed were the 1,200mm Butterworth-Penang island Twin Submarine Pipeline (3rd Submarine Pipeline); Sungai Perak Raw Water Transfer Scheme (SPRWTS); upgrading all existing water treatment plants, reservoirs and pumping stations; installing new pipelines and replacing pipelines; and non-revenue water management.
Chow, who is the PBA Holdings Bhd non-executive chairman, said there had been no incidence of water rationing in Penang since the corporatisation of PBAPP in 1999.
“However, water shortages have been reported in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Selangor, Johor, Kedah, Negri Sembilan and Perak between 2014 and 2017.
“We want to maintain this record. We do not want to implement water rationing.
“PBAPP is always working hard to stay ahead of the state’s water demand.
“Penang’s average water demand was 826 million litres per day (MLD) in 2017,” Chow told a press conference in Komtar today. Also present was PBAPP chief executive officer Datuk Jaseni Maidinsa.
The state’s water demand was projected to be 128% higher by 2050; as according to the independent ‘Master Plan Study for Potable Water in Penang towards 2050’ that was commissioned in 2009.
Chow said that PBAPP’s application for a water tariff review in Penang was solely to fund important water supply engineering projects for the benefit of the people.
The media release from PBAPP stressed the importance those key projects.
“Without these projects, Penang faces a higher risk of a water crisis during a prolonged dry season with each passing year.
“PBA Holdings Bhd (the public-listed holdings company that owns PBAPP) reported profits after tax totalling only RM137 million for the three-year period from 2015 to 2017.
“PBAPP needs to raise sufficient funds to realise the state’s water supply engineering projects.
“If the tariff review is approved by the Federal Government, additional revenue from the water tariff review will be reinvested into projects in Penang for the benefit of the people,” the statement read.
Story by Christopher Tan
Pix by Noor Siti Nabilah Noorazis