GEORGE TOWN: Describing Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s announcement of the Perak-Penang Water Project as the best news for Penang in five decades, Penang Water Supply Corporation (PWSC) chief executive officer, K. Pathmanathan said that the state stood to gain significant benefits if it is executed.
He stated that the project will ensure water sufficiency beyond 2030, considering the projected increase in demand, expected to reach 1,532 million litres per day by 2030 and 1,844 million litres per day by 2040, respectively.
He noted that the project would also enhance water supply capacity to support socio-economic advancement, thereby boosting the state’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth.
“Penang’s remarkable GDP growth since the 1970s proves its unlimited socio-economic potential. However, limited land area has constrained its water resources. To continue progressing over the next 20 years, the state needs to harness major secondary water sources, such as the Perak-Penang Water Project.
“The execution of the project will facilitate direct water distribution to consumers in Seberang Perai Selatan (SPS), as water from Perak will be pumped to the southern areas of the mainland. This will enhance and stabilise water supply for approximately 79,956 consumers in the region,“ he stated in a press release.
Pathmanathan explained that if the project is implemented, PWSC may no longer need to pump water from the Sungai Dua Water Treatment Plant in Seberang Perai Utara (SPU) to SPS. Instead, the excess treated water can be redirected to approximately 491,153 consumers in SPU, Seberang Perai Tengah as well as the Barat Daya, and Timur Laut districts.
With SPS’ access to water from Perak, he said they could pump more water from the Sungai Dua Water Treatment Plant to the island to maintain the Air Itam Dam and Teluk Bahang Dam reserves, which can only be replenished by rainwater.
Furthermore, he mentioned that purchasing conventionally treated river water from Sungai Perak would be cheaper compared to carrying out seawater desalination or wastewater recycling projects.
The last major Federal government water supply project for Penang was the Sungai Muda Water Scheme in 1973, inaugurated by former Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein. Over the past 51 years, the state has relied solely on Sungai Muda as its primary raw water source.
On May 5, Anwar announced that Perak had agreed to supply water to Penang via the Kerian Integrated Green Industrial Park to Seberang Perai, endorsed by the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah, and Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad.
