PBAPP plans to convert EMD into daily use dam to reduce raw water risks

GEORGE TOWN, Oct 7 (Bernama) -- Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Pinang Sdn Bhd (PBAPP) plans to convert the Expanded Mengkuang Dam (EMD) in Bukit Mertajam near here, from a drought reserve to a dam for daily use to reduce Penang's raw water risks.

Its chief executive officer Datuk Seri Jaseni Maidinsa said the main objective of the conversion was to mitigate  the risk of unscheduled water supply disruption throughout the state when the high turbidity of raw water from Sungai Muda, Kedah threatens the operation of the Sungai Dua Water Treatment Plant (LRA).

"Basically, this means that raw water stored in EMD will be available for daily and emergency production when the water level of Sungai Muda runs low during the dry season or when the quality of Sungai Muda water is affected and cannot be treated.

“With the change, EMD will function just like the Air Itam and Teluk Bahang dams on the island.

"In addition, the move is also to treat water from EMD on a daily basis to cater to the increase in demand in Seberang Perai Utara (SPU) and Seberang Perai Tengah (SPT)," he told a press conference here today. 

However, Jaseni said to convert the EMD into a dam for daily use, it required the operation of four major water supply engineering projects, namely Phase 2B of the Mengkuang Dam Expansion Project (MDEP) involving a cost of RM120 million by the federal government which is expected to complete in March next year.

Subsequently, Phase 2C of MDEP which is the construction of the Lahar Yooi Pump House is needed to enable rapid refilling of EMD from raw water sources, which will be carried out by the federal government involving a cost of RM80 million and the construction of a new LRA costing RM180 million.

"The Mengkuang Dam LRA is scheduled to be operational by Dec 2025, by which time PBAPP will be able to "free up" and channel additional treated water from the Sungai Dua LRA to Seberang Perai Selatan (SPS)," he said.

He said PBAPP was also planning to build another new 114 JLH LRA near Sungai Kerian to be operational by Dec 2026, to address the problem of water supply in SPS.

-- BERNAMA