BAYAN LEPAS: Hundreds of residents in Teluk Kumbar are left scrambling for water after current supplies ran out.
Checks by the New Straits Times this morning showed a large group of people lining up outside Masjid Ridwaniah, Sungai Batu near here to fill up their bottles and pails.
Similarly, on the ground floor of the Bandar Baru Perda Flat in Teluk Kumbar here, a jumbo water tanker was seen parked.
The jumbo tanker, with a 40,000-litre capacity, is now left with only a quarter capacity left.
Senior citizen Kam Leong Hoe, 70, from Taman Perda Tingkat Teluk Kumbar, said he stored two large tanks and 10 plastic bags of clean water when the water supply disruption first started on Wednesday.
He said, with seven people staying in one house, their storage has since run out.
"I have no choice but to come out in search of water supply. I went searching yesterday but could not find any.
"This is my second time here. I may need to come here for more water later," he said when met at the Bandar Baru Perda Flat.
Sisters Siti Nurhidayu Khairul Hisyam, 21, and Siti Nursyazwani, 25, who live in the flat, said they only shower once a day.
"We have five people staying here and cannot afford to waste any water.
"We only have water for cooking. For showering and washing, we need to get water from the tanks available," Siti Nurhidayu said.
Sisters Wan Nurul Afiqah Wan Omar, 23, and Wan Nurul Adila, 17, when met at noon, said they have yet to shower for the day.
"There is still no water flowing from the taps.
"For cooking, we buy mineral water, but for other purposes, we get it from the tanks.
"We hope this will not prolong and the water supply will normalise as scheduled," Wan Nurul Afiqah said.
Meanwhile, Sungai Batu Bukit Village Community Management Council rep, Roslin Hashim, said they were working round-the-clock to ensure people have water supply.
"The only thing is that we need to wait for the water tanker to refill the flexi tank.
"We are setting up the flexi tank outside Masjid Ridwaniah, Sungai Batu to make it easier for the people who are deep inside to get water supply," he said.
When met, Bayan Lepas assemblyman Datuk Azrul Mahathir Aziz said some parts of his constituency had experienced water supply disruptions since Monday.
"On Monday, the water pressure was unstable. The following day, many areas already faced disruption before the scheduled disruption on Wednesday.
"The water tanks at high rises are fast running dry.
"We hope help from the Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) will arrive soon," he added.
During a working visit to the Sungai Dua Water Treatment Plant (WTP) yesterday, Energy Transition and Public Utilities Deputy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir said water supply had normalised 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.