Akmal Nasrullah: PBAPP diligently working to fully restore water supply

BUTTERWORTH: The Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) is diligently working to repair the pipeline leak at the bottom of Sungai Perai to fully restore water supply to consumers within the stipulated period.

Deputy Minister of Energy Transition and Public Utilities, Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir said that the repair is 50 percent done and is the only location that has yet to be completed out of the 22 ancillary repair sites statewide.

Akmal said the main work of replacing two 1,200-millimetre valves at the Sungai Dua Water Treatment Plant (LRA) was completed last night, earlier than scheduled.

“The leak occurred on the riverbed, so they (PBAPP) had to use divers for the repair. That is why it is taking some time but at the moment PBAPP is doing its best. I am sure it can be completed as scheduled.

“According to PBAPP, 60 percent covering 350,000 accounts have been restored so far. I hope the rest can be patient because the timeline set for full restoration of supply is 96 hours,“ he said after surveying the control valve replacement and ancillary repair works at LRA Sungai Dua here today.

Also present were PBAPP Chief Executive Officer, K. Pathmanathan and National Water Services Commission (SPAN) Chairman, Charles Anthony Santiago.

Akmal Nasrullah said SPAN had approved PBAPP’s application for the Sungai Dua LRA repair works and scheduled ancillary maintenance works on Dec 12, in line with guidelines on the reduction of supply disruptions under Sections 54 and 55 of the Water Services Industry Act 2006.

He said that the repairs had to be carried out because it had affected the pumping operation of treated water in LRA resulting in a high rate of non-revenue water loss.

PBAPP previously announced that a total of 590,000 consumers in Penang would be affected by the scheduled water supply disruption from 6 am yesterday to 6 am this Sunday (Jan 14) to facilitate the replacement of two valves at the Sungai Dua LRA as well as ancillary works at 22 other locations throughout the state.

At least 101 areas in the Seberang Perai Utara and Seberang Perai Tengah districts are expected to have water supply restored after 48 hours, while 157 areas in the Seberang Perai Tengah, Seberang Perai Selatan, Timur Laut, and Barat Daya districts on the island will start receiving water after 72 hours. -Bernama