GEORGE TOWN: Work conducted at the Sungai Dua water treatment plant is ahead of schedule.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said work related to the replacement of two units of 1.2m control valves at the water treatment plant, as well as 19 of the 22 other preventive maintenance projects, have been completed.
He said what was estimated to take 24 hours, from 6am on Wednesday (Jan 10) to 6am on Thursday (Jan 11) was completed at 3.30pm on Wednesday.
He said however that it would be too early for him to estimate that water would resume earlier in the whole state.
"We said work on Phase 1 will last 24 hours but after visiting the site I can say the replacement works have been completed.
"We are now making sure other locations are ready.
"The water treatment operations have not begun but will start today.
"We are ahead of schedule but until and unless the last consumer and the end of the line receives water we cannot consider the operations successful yet," he said during a press conference after visiting the Sunway Cassia housing area to check on the water tank supply in Batu Maung, Penang.
Chow said if all went as planned, water would be restored in the first few areas as early as 6am on Thursday.
"Part of the Northern Seberang Prai and Central Seberang Prai as well as Southern Seberang Prai and some parts of George Town as well will have water supply return tomorrow (Jan 11).
"Northern Seberang Prai and Central Seberang Prai will receive water supply first.
"We need to fill the Bukit Dumbar Reservoir as it is important to the island, it is not a treatment plant but is for water storage.
"The water from Sungai Dua will go through the submarine pipe and fill that reservoir before it goes to the Bukit Gedung Reservoir and Teluk Kumbar Reservoir," he said.
Chow said so far he is pleased with Penang Water Supply Corporation's (PBAPP) work.
"They have done and completed what I asked them to do.
"Now they are going into the next stage of work," he said.
Chow said in the meantime, tanks have been set up and will be refilled to ensure there is water for those affected.
"This is a scheduled preventive maintenance project and not an incident that suddenly occurred and needed to be fixed which means we are prepared," he said.
