GEORGE TOWN: The Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) has activated an emergency response plan (ERP) for Sungai Muda to prevent unscheduled water supply disruptions in the state following floods in Baling, Kedah.

PBAPP chief executive officer Datuk K Pathmanathan said flood waters had washed in debris and waste into Sungai Muda, causing the river water to be murkier than usual at its Lahar Tiang water inlet point in Seberang Perai.

He said that on Tuesday at 5 pm, the turbidity level of the river water recorded 400 NTU (nephelometric turbidity unit) in Lahar Tiang, exceeding the regular reading of 200 NTU.

“Immediate action has been taken by releasing raw water from 72mld (million litres per day) to 240mld from the Expanded Mengkuang Dam (EMD) to ‘dilute’ raw water turbidity at the Sungai Dua Water Treatment Plant (LRA) intake point,“ he said in a statement today.

Pathmanathan said Sungai Muda is Penang’s primary raw water source, and PBAPP pumps water from the river daily to LRA Sungai Dua.

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He said that, as of 10am today, the Sungai Muda water turbidity level at the Lahar Tiang intake inlet had reached 700 NTU.

“Nevertheless, PBAPP will continue to implement ERP for the next 48 hours as a safety measure in the event of an unexpected sudden surge in raw water turbidity from Sungai Muda,“ he said.

In a related matter, Pathmanathan said 118,093 consumers in Seberang Perai Tengah (SPT) and Seberang Perai Selatan (SPS) districts will experience scheduled water supply disruptions from 10pm this Friday until 10pm on Saturday, Oct 5.

He said 41 affected areas are in SPT and all areas in SPS except some locations that will experience low water pressure.

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Pathmanathan added that the disruption is due to replacement parts work of the main pipeline in Permatang Pauh, which another utility company’s contractor damaged.

He reminded consumers in affected areas to store sufficient water for 24-hour use. He added that during the disruption period, PBAPP will deploy water tankers and static water tanks at strategic locations in SPT and SPS.