The water capacity at the Air Itam dam was 28.8%. (August 14, 2024) —ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star
Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) will continue implementing the Air Itam Dam Action Plan (Aidap) this year to prevent shortages in Air Itam, Bandar Baru Air Itam (Farlim) and surrounding areas.
Its chief executive officer Datuk K. Pathmanathan said the main reason for implementing Aidap was to increase the capacity of the Air Itam Dam.
The dam, which has been operational since 1963, has a maximum storage capacity of 2,159 million litres (ML).
This is significantly smaller than the maximum storage capacity of the Teluk Bahang Dam (18,240 ML) and Expanded Mengkuang Dam (86,400 ML).
“The Air Itam Dam currently has an adequate capacity recorded at 76.7%. However, without rainfall or any engineering intervention, the water supply is expected to decrease rapidly next year,” he said in a statement as reported by Bernama.
“Although international weather reports do not forecast another hot and dry El Nino phenomenon this year, it would be wise to act cautiously to avoid potential water shortages.”
As such, he said the corporation would continue implementing three key Aidap protocols this year.
These protocols include limiting the daily water release from the Air Itam Dam to 22 million litres (MLD) and pumping up to 33 MLD of treated water from the Sungai Dua water treatment plant (LRA) in Seberang Perai to serve the Air Itam Dam area.
Pathmanathan added that PBAPP would also optimise the production of treated water at the Air Itam LRA based on the availability of raw water from two additional water sources.
Last year, the successful implementation of these three protocols ensured there were no significant water supply issues in Air Itam and Farlim despite the prolonged hot and dry conditions caused by the El Nino phenomenon, he said.
Pathmanathan also said that the situation at the Teluk Bahang Dam service area was also less encouraging, with the dam’s adequate capacity recorded at 61.7%.
However, the Teluk Bahang Dam was much larger, and its adequate capacity was 18,240 ML, or 844.8% more than the Air Itam Dam’s 2,159 ML, he said.
“Although PBAPP may implement Aidap to support the Air Itam Dam, we may not pump treated water from Seberang Perai to the Teluk Bahang Dam service area,” he said.
Pathmanathan also said data showed that the average domestic water consumption in Penang was 284 litres per capita per day (LCD) in 2023, far higher than the national average of 237 LCD and Singapore’s 141 LCD.
“High per capita domestic consumption has implications, including higher risk of a water crisis when users consume more than what the dams can supply during dry seasons.”
