The Sungai Dua Water Treatment Plant (WTP) recently underwent urgent replacement of two 1.2m control valve units that were causing leaks. This situation prompted water works and preventive maintenance projects at 22 other locations, all of which were successfully completed on the night of January 10.

Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) CEO, Ir. K. Pathmanantan, reported that the planned water works at Sungai Dua WTP and the additional locations were completed ahead of schedule. Water supply restoration commenced at 11 pm on Wednesday, and normalization is underway in stages for the 197,025 water consumers, constituting 33% of the 590,000 affected users in Seberang Perai. The goal is to complete stage one by 6 am on Friday, January 12, as per the original schedule.

Pathmanathan clarified that the incident in Sungai Perai has not impacted level one restoration, as Sungai Dua WTP is redirecting water to these users through alternate main pipelines.

The subsequent stage, scheduled to begin at 6.01 am on Friday, aims to normalize water supply for 495,065 consumers, accounting for 84% of the total affected users in Seberang Perai and parts of the island. The success of stage two depends on the operational restart of the damaged section on the Sungai Perai underwater pipeline.

PBAPP is diligently working on emergency repair works for Sungai Perai, with updates on progress provided regularly. Work in Sungai Perai faced delays due to a technical problem with one of the clamps designed for the 1.35m long hole on the pipeline. A heavy crane was brought in for on-site modifications to expedite the process and reduce the risk of prolonged delays. Commercial diving teams are scheduled to secure the modified clamps on the damaged pipeline.

Previously, PBAPP announced a scheduled water disruption for approximately 590,000 consumers, including non-domestic users, lasting 96 hours from 6 am on January 11 to 6 am on January 14. However, PBAPP anticipates that at least 101 areas in Seberang Perai Utara (SPU) and Seberang Perai Tengah (SPT) districts will have water supply restored after 48 hours. A total of 157 areas, including SPT, Seberang Perai Selatan (SPS), Northeast, and Southwest districts on the island, are expected to receive water supply after 72 hours.