Penang Water to deploy largest tanker fleet ‘in state’s history’ for planned outage next week
GEORGE TOWN, Jan 6 — The Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) will deploy 99 water tankers to affected areas during the scheduled four-day supply disruption next week.
PBAPP chief executive officer K. Pathmanathan said that of the tankers, 27 are rented jumbo tankers that can hold up to 40,000L of treated water.
“This is the largest fleet of water tankers to be deployed in Penang’s water supply history,” he said in a statement issued today.
The remaining 72 tankers are from the volunteer fire brigade team (34 units of 5,000L), PBAPP (eight units of 5,000L), Penang Island City Council (eight units of 5,000L), Seberang Perai City Council (seven units of 5,000L) and National Water Services Commission (15 units of 5,000L to 10,000L).
He said the tankers will be deployed in accordance with the water supply recovery plan.
They will be deployed to all affected areas in Seberang Perai and Penang island in the first 48 hours, between 6am on January 10 and 6am on January 12.
They will then cover parts of Seberang Perai and all affected areas on Penang island between 6am on January 12 and 6am on January 13.
From 6am on January 13 to 6am January 14, the tankers will be deployed to several areas on Penang island and specific neighbourhoods in Seberang Perai.
The tankers will continue to be deployed to specific end-of-line and high ground areas in the southwest district on the island after January 14.
Apart from the tankers, Pathmanathan said PBAPP will also install a total 97 static water tanks including rented “gajah flexitanks” with maximum capacity of 24,000L each.
“A total 19 gajah flexitanks will be placed in Balik Pulau, Batu Maung, Batu Uban, Bukit Tengah, Bayan Lepas, Jawi, Pantai Jerejak, Paya Terubong, Pulau Betong and Sungai Acheh,” he said.
He said the remaining 78 tanks with 2,500L capacity each will be placed at all other affected areas.
He stressed that the PBAPP static tanks are in addition to water tanks to be provided by the respective state and federal lawmakers.
“All static tanks including the ones set up by state assemblymen and MPs will be refilled regularly by the water tanker fleet,” he said.
He said PBAPP will supply about 1.85 million litres of treated water per day (MLD) through the water tankers and static water tanks during the scheduled water supply disruption.
Consumers who need assistance to refill empty static tanks during that period may call PBAPP’s 24-hour call centre at 04-2558255.
