Penang's Southwest district consumers told to store water after new leak in Sungai Perai pipeline

GEORGE TOWN, Jan 12 — Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow has reassured consumers that water supply recovery will continue despite a new leak in the Sungai Perai underwater pipeline.

He said the new leak was detected at about 10am today.

“The leaks were found to be at several new sections and not at the repaired section,” he said on his Facebook page today.

He said the most recent evaluation of the leak revealed that the pipeline could no longer be repaired.

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“The next course of action is to install a temporary diversion pipeline of 900mm across the Ampang Jajar bridge above the river surface,” he said.

He said the Penang Water Supply Company (PBAPP) will continue to normalise the water supply for the southwest district of the island, at a lower pressure.

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“However, consumers in the southwest district are advised to continue to store water to face any eventuality,” he said.

He stressed that any disruption due to the leak will only affect the southwest district of the island and will not affect Seberang Perai and most parts of the northeast district of the island.

“The areas that have already achieved water supply normalisation will not be affected,” he said.

This morning, PBAPP announced that water supply will normalise for 84 per cent of 590,000 affected consumers in both Seberang Perai and the island starting 6am today to 6am tomorrow under stage two of the water supply recovery plan.

Water supply has normalised for a majority of the areas in Penang island and Seberang Perai today.

PBAPP said stages three and four of its water supply recovery plan for the remaining affected consumers such as those on high ground and end-of-line will be completed as scheduled by 6am on Sunday.