GEORGE TOWN: Several old folks homes here have taken measures against the water cut beginning today, including placing water containers in each room for the convenience of residents.
In Kepala Batas, the Darul Hanan Care Centre has two containers with 170 litres of water in each of the rooms for them to wash and bathe.
Its supervisor Mohd Nassir Sulaiman said there are 40 rooms at the centre, with three to five residents occupying each room. All the rooms have a bathroom.
“We also have 48 emergency tanks that can store 500 gallons (1,892 litres) of water each and have stored drinking water.
“We have done all the necessary and are keeping our fingers crossed although we have been told that the north Seberang Prai district will be among the earliest in getting water back as it is near to the Sungai Dua water treatment plant.
“We just hope the repair work (at the plant) can be carried out within the time frame,” he said.
A 70-year-old resident, who declined to be named, said he prayed that the repair work would end smoothly so that they can carry on with their lives.
“I will have to stop taking showers twice a day now, and I need to be mindful of my personal hygiene during the water cut. This is very uncomfortable.
“ I hope it will be over quickly,” he said.
Persatuan Syukur Penyayang Pulau Pinang founder Peter Tan said the home in Ayer Itam has a giant tank that can store 2,400 gallons (9,085 litres) of water.
“The amount of water stored is enough for us at the moment.
“We have also told the residents to use water wisely,” he said.
He said the home also received a static water tank, which can store 500 gallons of water, from a donor on Monday.
“We hope that the water cut will not go beyond the scheduled time frame. Otherwise, we need to think of something else,” he said, adding that the home houses 40 residents aged between 60 and 95.
Penangites will face a four-day water cut from today, which will affect almost 600,000 consumers, including many factories and workplaces.
A number of factories are expected to cease operations during that period as they require plenty of water in their daily operation.
The supply disruption is to allow for valve replacement work at the Sungai Dua water treatment plant and repair work at several locations along the main pipeline.
