PETALING JAYA: Use less water, not more – this is the urgent appeal by the Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) to the people in Penang.
The corporation is urging the public to reduce usage by 10% immediately.
PBAPP chief executive officer K. Pathmanathan urged an immediate stop to using hoses to water gardens and clean vehicles or premises.
"The estimated water consumption in Penang hit 927 million litres per day (MLD) on Sunday (March 17) compared to an 877 MLD average last year," he said in a statement Monday (March 18).
He said PBAPP is producing as much water as possible but the 50 MLD surge in consumption is causing water supply issues in some areas.
"(The increase is) a volume of water that can fill 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools a day or 33,333,333 (1.5L) bottles of drinking water every day.
"Such a surge in a water-stressed state is not wise or sustainable. It is causing issues in some areas in the south-west district and south Seberang Prai as reported by PBAPP on Saturday (March 16)," he said.
Pathmanathan said the 120 billion litre Muda Dam in Kedah that releases water into Sungai Muda reportedly dropped to 48.6% on Friday (March 15).
"Thankfully the level of the Beris Dam, the second dam that may release water into Sungai Muda, was reported at 98.6% on the same day," he said.
He said PBAPP has been pumping 33 MLD of treated water from the Sungai Dua Water Treatment Plant into the Air Itam water supply service area.
"However, if PBAPP is unable to do this continuously, the Air Itam Dam Action Plan (Aidap) to increase the dam's effective capacity will not work, leading to more supply issues," added Pathmanathan.
