Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP), a state-owned company that manages water supply in Penang has outlined three contingency plans under its Penang Water Supply Initiative 2050 (PWSI 2050) that will be implemented from 2021 onwards to ensure the security of the state’s raw water supply. PBAPP has commissioned a feasibility study on the proposed PWSI 2050 projects, which is slated to be completed by January 2021.
According to PWSI 2050, phase one of the project is scheduled for commissioning in December 2024 and subsequent phases will be implemented until 2050. The first contingency plan under PWSI 2050 is the construction of a new 114 million liters per day (MLD) water treatment module in the Sungai Dua water treatment plant, the largest water treatment plant in Malaysia.
The second plan is Sungai Perai Water Supply Scheme (SPWSS) which is aimed at using the Sungai Perai river as an additional raw water resource with a potential yield of 136 MLD. Raw water from this river may not be safely treated using conventional water treatment technology so the SPWSS will look at using alternative water treatment technologies to treat the raw water for human consumption.
The third plan is phase one of the Penang Desalination Water Supply Scheme (PDWSS) with a potential yield of 250 MLD, to be carried out by constructing a desalination facility in the southern area of the island.
PWSI 2050 aims to adopt a sustainable approach on the extraction of raw water from Sungai Muda and to continue its efforts in preserving the neighboring state Kedah’s Ulu Muda 160,000 hectares of rainforests as a water catchment area. According to the PBAPP chief executive officer, the possible reopening of logging concessions in Ulu Muda poses a threat to water supplies for the states of Perlis, Kedah and Penang.
(Sources: New Straits Times; Buletin Mutiara)