BUTTERWORTH: Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow indicated that a temporary water cutoff to some 120,000 consumers on Penang Island would be necessary to divert a burst pipe beneath Sungai Perai.
People in the Southwest district will be impacted by the water cuts, he said. However, no precise date for the water disruption has been set as of yet.
Butterworth provides treated water to at least half of the island through the broken pipe. Despite being repaired, it had collapsed three times in the previous two months.
Work is underway, according to Chow, to re-route the pipe so that it briefly runs above the river.
“The impending water cut would not be as extensive as previously because the diversion would only take 16 hours to finish.”
During a site visit to the diversion work near Ampang Jajar, Chow informed reporters that “supply is expected to resume in less than a day.”
This was all owing to the primary water delivery line in Sungai Perai, which proved to be difficult for the Penang Water delivery Corporation (PBAPP).