BUTTERWORTH: The Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) has taken immediate action by creating a temporary diversion after a new leak was detected in the pipe beneath Sungai Perai.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the 900-millimetre (mm) diameter pipe was diverted across the Ampang Jajar bridge on the surface of the river.
He said the emergency measure was taken after an assessment found that the existing pipe in Sungai Perai could no longer be repaired.
"The pipe leakage in Sungai Perai was detected at 10am today (January 12), involving several new sections of the original repairs.
"It was found that the existing pipe can no longer be repaired, and the next action is to temporarily divert the pipe across the Ampang Jajar bridge.
"However, water supply, at low pressure, is still being distributed as previously notified," he said in a statement.
Chow, who is also PBAPP chairman, said the Sungai Perai leak would only involve disruptions to the water supply in the island's Southwest district and would not affect the mainland districts as well as most areas in the Northeast district on the island.
He said areas that had already received water supply would also not be affected.
"Water restoration for the Southwest district will continue, so residents in that area are advised to continue storing enough water to face any possibilities," he said.
Yesterday (January 12), PBAPP announced that repair work on the water pipeline at the bottom of Sungai Perai had been completed, involving modifications to the modified anchor clamp on the pipeline.
Sungai Perai is the last location of a total of 22 locations throughout Penang undergoing secondary repair works in addition to the main task of replacing two 1,200mm valves at the Sungai Dua Water Treatment Plant.
A total of 590,000 user accounts throughout Penang have been affected by the scheduled water supply disruptions starting at 6am on Wednesday (January 10), but at least 101 areas in the Seberang Perai Utara district (SPU) and Seberang Perai Tengah (SPT) are expected to receive water supply after 48 hours.
A total of 157 areas involving SPT, Seberang Perai Selatan (SPS), and the Northeast and Southwest districts on the island are expected to begin receiving water supply after 72 hours. — Bernama