GEORGE TOWN: Another leak has been detected at the Sungai Prai underwater pipeline, hours after the emergency repair work was completed.
According to the Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP), they are investigating the cause and location of the leak to check if it is at the same section that was repaired yesterday.
"Despite the leak, PBAPP will continue to pump water through the pipeline for now.
"Stage two recovery consumers are requested to kindly store water for usage.
"This pipeline may be shut down later for emergency repair works," it said today.
PBAPP said the situation was still under investigation.
"PBAPP will share findings when it has accurate information and data," he added.
Earlier today, it was reported that stage two of the water supply recovery commenced at 6am today with optimal pumping of treated water from the Sungai Dua Water Treatment Plant (WTP) to Penang island.
PBAPP is aiming to normalise water supply for 495,065 consumers by 6am tomorrow.
During a working visit to the Sungai Dua WTP yesterday, Energy Transition and Public Utilities Deputy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir said water supply was back to normal for about 60 per cent or 350,000 of the 590,000 households affected by the four-day disruption throughout the state following the shutdown of the Sungai Dua WTP.
He said water supply had normalised in the three districts in Seberang Prai and the northeast district on the island.
He said that in the island's southwest district, only five per cent of those affected had received water supply.
PBAPP had embarked on water works, especially the replacement of two leaking control valves, which warranted the shutdown of the Sungai Dua WTP.
The shutdown resulted in a four-day water supply interruption (SWSI) to some 590,000 water consumers throughout the state.
During the works, the emergency response team (ERT) dealt with an issue at Sungai Prai.
When they shut down the water supply on Wednesday morning, the drop in water pressure dislodged the clamp that they had installed on a leaking section of the 1.35m underwater pipe last month.
The emergency repair works at Sungai Prai were completed as scheduled at 6am today.
However, hours later, the leak was detected.
Meanwhile, Bayan Lepas state assemblyman Datuk Azrul Mahathir Aziz expressed concern that the latest development in Sungai Prai would result in prolonged water supply shortage in the southwest district.
"I fear that areas which have received water supply before this will also experience interruption again.
"Our tanks are also running dry. We hope PBAPP will send water supply to this area to reduce the people's hardships," he said when met at Flat Bandar Baru Perda here this morning.