The Malaysian Insight

A SECOND alert was issued by the Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) today, urging consumers to use water wisely as the hot season causes a drop in level at a dam.

PBAPP chief executive Jaseni Maidinsa said the effective capacity of usable water at Air Itam Dam is down to 60.4% from the 92.2% recorded on January 1.

The supply, for use by 175,000 consumers in the Air Itam area, can last only 59 days.

Jaseni said the water level at Sg Muda, where Penang gets 80% of its supply, has also dropped significantly, from 2.35m on January 1 to 1.55m yesterday.

Sg Muda supplies water to Penang mainland residents, and a significant number of consumers in Balik Pulau and on the southern part of the island.

“The dry season in Penang is normally from January to March, but we have a contingency plan ready if we get no rain until June or July, like in 2016, when we had the El Nino situation,” he told a press conference.

The plan involves releasing water at Mengkuang Dam in Bukit Mertajam – 27 times the size of Air Itam Dam – if water from Sg Muda is insufficient.

Jaseni said requests will be put in for Kedah to release more water from its dams into Sg Muda, and for cloud seeding during the monsoon season from end-March to next month.

If the situation worsens, PBAPP will ask Penang to delay the padi planting season, he said.

“These were the measures we had in place in 2016, when we had little rain until June-July. If we experience this again, the contingency plan will kick in.”

He said although the situation is not yet critical, consumers must not be wasteful.

“The weather is hot, and we want to reassure the people that we have a plan to ensure supply.

“I am often the first to raise the alarm, so we can take proactive measures now, and not wait until we have reached the danger level.

“That was how we operated in 2016, and we made it through without water rationing.”

Penang, despite having the highest water consumption rate nationwide, has a “no water rationing” policy. – March 7, 2019.