GEORGE TOWN: Penang will receive clean water supply assistance from several states during the upcoming water supply disruption in the state from Jan 10 to Jan 14.
State Infrastructure Committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari said the state government held a discussion with the National Water Services Commission (SPAN) yesterday on the matter.
"Penang will get water supply assistance from other states which will be managed by SPAN. We discussed the matter with SPAN yesterday and there is an agreement in principle.
"It is just that we need to finalise how many states and how many water tanks will be involved…that is all under the supervision of SPAN," he told newsmen here today.
Zairil said SPAN had before this supplied 15 mobile water tanks when there was a water supply disruption involving about 200,000 water consumers in the southwest and Seberang Prai area last month.
The disruption followed the temporary closure of a 1,350 millimeter (mm) pipeline in Sungai Prai that burst.
"This time, we are asking for more (water tanks) from SPAN and they are finalising the number of tanks that will be placed in critical areas in the state.
"In terms of logistics, the Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) is finalising several locations where the water tanks will be placed. We will focus on critical areas such as Balik Pulau, Seberang Prai Selatan and Sungai Ara.
"We have several types of water tanks, there is a large tank with a capacity of 25,000 liters that will be transported using a trailer while the smaller tank will be filled by the moving (large) tank," he added.
It was reported that a large part of Penang involving 590,000 PBAPP water consumers would experience scheduled water supply disruption starting on Jan 10 due to urgent pipe repair works at the Sungai Dua Water Treatment Plant (WTP).
The pipe repair workS involved the replacement of two 1,200 millimeter (mm) main control valve units in the main treated water pipeline in the WTP that is leaking.