SEBERANG PERAI, Sept 20 — The Penang state government will invest another RM1.115 billion over the next four years for its Water Contingency Plan 2030 (WCP 2030) as water consumption in the state continues to rise.

Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow highlighted that water consumption has steadily increased.

"Water consumption is now 887 million litres per day (MLD) in the first half of this year, which is an increase compared to 843 MLD in 2019,” he said during his speech at the opening ceremony of Package 12A at the Sungai Dua Water Treatment Plant (WTP).

He noted that the Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) has already invested RM69.15 million to implement projects under the WCP 2030.

"PBAPP will now focus on completing another six projects under WCP 2030 in the next four years to meet the 10 per cent increase in water consumption,” he added.

Package 12A is one of the recently completed projects under WCP 2030, designed to enhance the water treatment capacity at the Sungai Muda WTP by 114 MLD, increasing it from 1,612 MLD to 1,726 MLD.

Chow, who also serves as PBAPP chairman, explained that PBAPP’s strategy is to decentralise the water distribution system.

"We are not putting all our eggs in the Sungai Dua WTP, which supplies 85 per cent of the water for Penang,” he said.

Among the upcoming projects is the construction of a new WTP with a capacity of 114 MLD to utilise water from the Expanded Mengkuang Dam for Central Seberang Perai.

Two additional WTPs will be built at Sungai Kerian and Sungai Muda, each providing 114 MLD of treated water for South Seberang Perai and North Seberang Perai, respectively.

Chow further stated that there will be dedicated and submarine pipes to supply water directly to the island.

The three major pipelines to be constructed include a 13km pipeline from Sungai Dua WTP to Butterworth, a 3.9km pipeline from Macallum to Bukit Dumbar on the island, and a pipeline crossing the Sungai Perai river in Seberang Perai.

According to PBAPP Chief Executive Officer Datuk K. Pathmanathan, the three major pipelines, estimated to cost about RM189 million, will be implemented in 2025 and 2026.

Once completed, he said, these pipelines will enable PBAPP to pump water at higher pressures from the Sungai Dua WTP to 465,000 consumers.

"The pipeline projects will help to improve water supply services for 67.4 per cent of Penang’s 689,786 registered water consumers across all five districts,” he said.

He assured that PBAPP is focused on the WCP 2030 goal and is committed to completing the projects on schedule.