GEORGE TOWN: Work to re-clamp the underwater pipeline in Sungai Prai have hit further snag.
Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) said, due to heavy rain and strong underwater currents since last night, divers were unable to complete the re-clamping work as scheduled.
"At 2am today, a new team of 10 divers took over from the original team. The replacement divers are striving to complete the underwater clamping works as soon as possible," it said today.
The re-clamping work is the Plan A option to ensure those affected by the water supply disruption would get water supply as soon as possible.
Plan A is to re-clamp a 1.15m by 0.65m hole on the leaking 1,350mm underwater pipeline section — a temporary solution to "buy time" until the completion of preparatory works onsite for the commissioning of two new 600mm pipelines to replace the underwater pipeline under Plan B.
If Plan A is successful as planned, some 84 per cent of the 120,000 affected consumers in the southwest district and part of the northeast district would have gotten their water supply at 8am today.
The recovery of the remaining 16 per cent of affected consumers were supposed to get their supply at 8am tomorrow.
In the interim, PBAPP said, since noon yesterday, it had activated an auxiliary supply plan to supply some water to about 15,000 to 20,000 of the 120,000 consumers affected by the Sungai Prai mishap.
The treated water is from the Sungai Dua Water Treatment Plant (WTP). There are two 1,350mm pipelines that channel water from the Sungai Dua WTP to Penang island.
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"PBAPP is pumping more water at high pressure through the second (undamaged) pipeline to the Bukit Dumbar Complex on Penang island. From Bukit Dumbar, the water is being re-pumped out to as many affected consumers as possible in areas spanning from Gelugor southwards to Bayan Lepas. At this point in time, PBAPP cannot provide an accurate list of the areas.
"This is an auxiliary supply scenario. Pressure is low and supply is intermittent. However, at least some affected consumers would have received some water," it added.
PBAPP said preparatory work for Plan B was running aheadof schedule.
PBAPP is working on a potential plan to implement diversion works to connect the two new 600mm pipelines on Sunday, instead of next Monday as originally scheduled.
PBAPP will provide more updates on Plan A and Plan B soon, after the facts and figures are checked, verified and confirmed.
It was reported that some 200,000 consumers in the southwest district of Penang island and several areas in Seberang Prai would experience an unscheduled disruption to their water supply.
This followed a sudden mishap in Sungai Prai, which caused taps of some 120,000 water consumers to dry since Tuesday.
PBAPP said it had detected a sudden major leak on the 1,350mm underwater pipeline section, the fourth since last month.