Thousands in Air Itam Brace for Water Supply Interruption: What You Need to Know

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A total of 4,489 user accounts in Air Itam will experience a scheduled water supply disruption from 10 pm on December 5 until 10 am on December 6. This disruption is due to the temporary halt in operations at the Air Itam Water Treatment Plant (WTP) for the replacement of the butterfly valve on the 450mm WTP pipeline along Jalan Zoo, as announced by the Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP).

The affected areas include several neighborhoods such as Jalan Zoo-lorong 1, 2, 3, and 4, Penang Hill, Jalan Hill Railway, Jalan Kampung Pisang, Jalan Embun, Jalan Pisang Tanduk, Jalan Emas, Jalan Pisang Nangka, Jalan Hye Keat Estate, Jalan Empat, Lorong Empat, Jalan Lima, Jalan Kampung Melayu, Jalan Chor Sin Kheng, and from Jalan Air Itam to Pasar Air Itam. Other affected areas are Jalan Mata Kucing, Jalan Batu Van Tan, Lorong Lima, Jalan Lintang, Jalan Air Itam, Jalan Balik Pulau, block 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 6e, 6f, 6g, 6h, Jalan Pokok Ceri, Jalan Kampung Pisang, Jalan Air Itam, Medan Kolam Air Panas, Jalan Batu Perempuan, Jalan Pasar Blok 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 and 15, Jalan Sri Bendera, Kampung Teres, and Flat Kampung Melayu.

PBAPP has advised affected users to store sufficient water for use during the scheduled water supply disruption and apologized for any inconvenience caused. Updates on the supply disruption will be posted on PBAPP’s official Facebook page from time to time.

This is not the first instance of water supply disruptions in Penang. Earlier in the year, a major water disruption affected 590,000 consumers from January 10 to 14, due to repair work at the Sungai Dua Water Treatment Plant. During that period, areas such as Pulau Tikus, George Town, Jelutong, Gelugor, Bukit Jambul, Relau, Bayan Lepas, Bayan Baru, Batu Maung, Teluk Kumbar, and Balik Pulau were affected. However, areas like Air Itam, Tanjung Bungah, Batu Ferringhi, and Teluk Bahang were not affected as they receive their water supply from the Air Itam Dam and Teluk Bahang Dam.

The water supply situation in Penang has been challenging due to low rainfall, particularly during the 2024 El Nino phenomenon. The effective capacities of the Air Itam Dam and Teluk Bahang Dam have been significantly reduced, with the Air Itam Dam at 42.3% and the Teluk Bahang Dam at 32.2% capacity. To manage this, PBAPP has implemented its Air Itam Dam Action Plan 2024 and is carefully managing water supply to ensure sufficiency until the beginning of the wet season.

PBAPP CEO K. Pathmanathan has emphasized the need for careful water management, stating that the corporation is optimizing water production at various treatment plants and deploying water tankers and static water tanks to affected areas to minimize disruptions. He also mentioned that the recent downpours have helped increase water levels, but the overall situation remains under close monitoring.

In light of these challenges, PBAPP has been proactive in deploying measures to mitigate water supply issues, including the use of water tankers and static tanks, and has urged residents to reduce water usage to ensure adequate supply for all consumers.

Sources:

  • https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/12/02/scheduled-water-disruption-to-affect-4489-accounts-in-air-itam-from-dec-5-to-dec-6/158686

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