Penang’s Sungai Dua Water Treatment Plant entered the Malaysia Book of Records for its innovative zero-waste recycling system and water recovery milestones.
GEORGE TOWN: The Sungai Dua Water Treatment Plant (WTP) in North Seberang Perai has entered the Malaysia Book of Records with three achievements in water recovery and waste reduction.
It is the first time a Penang water treatment plant has been listed in the book.
Penang Water Supply Corporation CEO Datuk K. Pathmanathan said the plant was recognised as the country’s highest-capacity water recovery plant, the first water treatment plant with zero residual discharge and the first with zero plant losses.
“The corporation has pioneered the implementation of a ‘Zero Waste Water Treatment Residue (WTR) Recycling System’ in the Sungai Dua WTP,” he said.
The system converts water treatment residual (WTR) from a waste material into a raw material for making bricks while the recovered supernatant water is reused to produce more treated water.
“Between 30 million and 45 million litres per day (MLD) of supernatant water were recovered through the system during an independent assessment period.”
He said the plant also recorded zero discharge of supernatant water into the environment during normal operations.
“During a verified assessment period, the Sungai Dua WTP recorded a net unrecovered plant water loss of 0m³.”
The Sungai Dua WTP produced an average of 1,108 MLD of treated water in 2025 for 465,000 consumers.
Pathmanathan said the system has also enabled the corporation to stop discharging WTR or wastewater into nearby streams and rivers, while eliminating the need to dispose of WTR as scheduled waste at a designated landfill.
He added that WTR management costs have been reduced by 73.6%.
“The Zero Waste WTR Recycling System has proven that it is possible and rational to continuously recycle WTR at a rate of 45 metric tonnes a day and harvest up to 45 MLD of supernatant water in Malaysia.
“It is hoped that the Zero Waste WTR Recycling System may be replicated and/or modified for use at other WTPs throughout Malaysia, obviating the need for large-scale dumping of WTR at landfills.”
He said in 2021, all WTPs in Malaysia were estimated to generate 5,500 metric tonnes of WTR daily, or about 2.1 million tonnes a year.
He also said while the Sungai Dua WTP may not be the biggest, latest or most expensive WTP in Malaysia, it is now recognised as the most environment-friendly WTP in the country.
According to the Malaysia Book of Records, these achievements demonstrate the corporation’s commitment to engineering innovation, circular economy principles, water resource efficiency and sustainable utility operations, while establishing a practical and replicable model for future treatment plants.
The recognition follows the Zero Waste WTR Recycling System receiving the Malaysia Water Industry Award for “Most Innovative Water Solutions” from the Malaysia Water Association and Pengurusan Aset Air Bhd on Tuesday.
The system earlier received the Gold Award for Circular Economy and Water Reuse at the Malaysian International Water Convention on Oct 15 last year and an ESG 3-Star Listing from the United Nations Global Compact Network Malaysia and Brunei on Nov 12.
