GEORGE TOWN, July 15 — Penang’s water supply operator, Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Pinang (PBAPP), began drawing water from the Expanded Mengkuang Dam (EMD) in Seberang Perai to maintain consistent water services throughout the state.

In a statement today, PBAPP said the measure follows a concerning dip in Sungai Muda’s water level, which fell below 2m for four consecutive days.

The EMD, with a maximum drawdown capacity of 600 million litres per day (MLD), is now providing an average of 41 MLD since July 13, 2024, to supplement the raw water intake from Sungai Muda.

This combined water supply is directed to the Sungai Dua Water Treatment Plant (WTP), Penang’s largest and most critical facility, ensuring the distribution of treated water to approximately 465,000 consumers across Seberang Perai, Daerah Timur Laut (DTL), and Daerah Barat Daya (DBD) on Penang Island.

Despite the EMD’s contribution, Sungai Muda’s water level at the PBAPP intake in Lahar Tiang, Seberang Perai, dropped below the safe threshold of 2m from July 11 to July 14, 2024.

Consequently, PBAPP extracted an average of 1,125.50 MLD of raw water from Sungai Muda last week, a reduction from the typical 1,196.13 MLD.

Normally, over 80 per cent of PBAPP’s daily raw water originates from this river, said the statement.

The water levels in Kedah’s dams, which feed into Sungai Muda, further exacerbate the situation.

The Muda Dam’s effective capacity was reported at 16.6 per cent on July 12, 2024, while the Beris Dam, with a maximum capacity of 120 billion litres, stood at 82.4 per cent on July 11, 2024.

Kedah authorities can release additional water from the Beris Dam to raise Sungai Muda’s levels, a crucial step to prevent disruptions at 14 WTPs in Kedah and the Sungai Dua WTP in Penang.

As of July 14, 2024, the EMD’s effective capacity is at 90.5 per cent.

Although the EMD drawdowns help mitigate the low levels of Sungai Muda, PBAPP remains on high alert and is closely monitoring the situation, given that Sungai Muda is Penang’s primary raw water source.

It urged all water consumers in Penang to use water wisely amid these challenges.