GEORGE TOWN: Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Pinang (PBAPP) recorded recorded the state’s lowest per capita domestic water consumption in 24 years last year.
Its chief executive officer, Datuk K. Pathmanathan said that last year, the people of Penang used 261 litres per capita per day (Lpcd) of treated water compared to 284 Lpcd in 2023, representing a decrease of 23 Lpcd or 8.1 per cent year-on-year.
“The 261 Lpcd is the lowest for Penang since 2000 (255 Lpcd), but the Penang population in 2000 was 1.3 million compared to 1.8 million in 2024. As a result, overall domestic water consumption increased by 39.8 per cent, from about 123 million cubic meters (m³) in 2000 to 172 million m³ last year.
“Nevertheless, the figure of 261 Lpcd represents a positive step forward in domestic water conservation. Over the 10 years from 2014 to 2023, domestic water consumption in Penang ranged between 276 Lpcd and 308 Lpcd,“ he said in a statement today.
In this regard, he expressed PBAPP’s gratitude to the people of Penang for conserving water at home last year, which helped reduce pressure on the existing water supply infrastructure.
According to Pathmanathan, three main factors contributing to the reduction in domestic water consumption may be attributed to PBAPP’s implementation of new domestic water rates since Feb 1, increased public awareness, and the PBAPP 10 Percent Reduction Campaign 2024.
He said PBAPP will set and announce a new per capita domestic consumption target for Penang in 2025 soon.
Meanwhile, he noted that the effective capacities of the Air Itam Dam and Teluk Bahang Dam were at 78.3 per cent and 60.1 per cent, respectively, as of yesterday.
“Although international weather forecasters predict that 2025 will experience an El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) or a mild La Niña year, the status of our water supply remains ‘unsafe’ until both dams are refilled to a higher capacity by rainfall,“ he said.
