GEORGE TOWN: Penang has called off the water emergency alert this morning following an improvement in raw water turbidity level at the Lahar Tiang Intake, likely caused by the flash floods in Baling, Kedah, on Wednesday.
As at noon, the raw water turbidity level at the Penang Water Supply Corporation's (PBAPP) Lahar Tiang Intake (Sungai Muda) was at 229 nephelometric turbidity unit (NTU).
It was a vast improvement from 1,824 at 8pm yesterday, 1,331 at midnight and 326 at 7am today.
NTU refers to the concentration of suspended solids in the water. A reading above 3,000 renders the raw water untreatable.
Despite the water emergency alert being called off, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the people should continue to be vigilant and store water in case of an emergency.
"Although the situation has improved and there will not be any disruption to water supply, the people should be cautious at all times.
'We advise the people to save water, if possible, to face any possibility," he said after the launch of the 5G network in Penang (5G@Penang) at Wisma UAB, Gat Lebuh China, here.
PBAPP had issued the water emergency alert at midnight.
PBAPP today said operations at the Sungai Dua Water Treatment Plant (WTP) have returned to normal after operating at only 70 per cent capacity yesterday.
In July, the Sungai Dua WTP was shut down due to abnormally high turbidity of raw water from Sungai Muda following the Baling floods then.
As a result, 80 per cent, or 528,000 of 660,000 account holders in the state were left without water.
The unscheduled water disruption caused chaos as people emptied store shelves of bottled water.