BUTTERWORTH: Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Pinang (PBAPP) has detected another underwater pipeline leak at the bottom of Sungai Perai, here today.
PBAPP, in a statement, said its staff is investigating to determine the location of the leak to ascertain if it is at the same spot that was repaired yesterday.
“Even if there is a leak, PBAPP will continue to pump water through the pipeline for the time being and second-level recovery users are advised to store water for use.
“The pipeline may be closed later for emergency repair work. (However) the matter is still under investigation. PBAPP will share the results after getting the accurate information and data,“ read the statement.
Yesterday, PBAPP announced that the work to repair the pipeline at the bottom of the Sungai Perai was completed.
Sungai Perai was the last location out of a total of 22 locations throughout Penang that underwent ancillary works besides the main task of replacing two 1,200mm valve units at Sungai Dua Water Treatment Plant that left a total of 590,000 user accounts throughout Penang affected by a scheduled water supply disruption on Wednesday (Jan 10).
Meanwhile, Bayan Lepas Assemblyman Datuk Azrul Mahathir Aziz said the pipeline leak will cause water restoration of water supply for residents in the Relau, Bayan Lepas, Teluk Kumbar, Gertak Sanggul and Sungai Batu areas to be delayed or disrupted again.
He hoped that PBAPP could increase the delivery of water supply through tankers in the affected areas because most of the residents had run out of water.
“There are several areas in the Bayan Lepas state constituency, such as the villages in Teluk Kumbar that have received water supply, but with the new leaked pipeline detected in Sungai Perai, it might cause water supply disruption again,“ he said when met at Teluk Kumbar, near here.
Azrul Mahathir said that there are 10 water tankers placed at several locations in the Bayan Lepas constituency, but most of them have run out of water and need to be refilled immediately.
“A jumbo tank with a capacity of 40,000 litres is also almost empty,” he said.
PBAPP in a statement issued earlier announced the second stage of water supply restoration started at 6 am today with optimal pumping of treated water from the Sungai Dua Water Treatment Plant (WTP) to the island in the state.
It said it aimed to restore water supply to 495,065 users by 6 am tomorrow (Jan 13).–Bernama
