Mengkuang Dam to be converted from drought reserve to daily water source

GEORGE TOWN: The Expanded Mengkuang Dam (EMD) in Central Seberang Prai will be converted from a strategic drought reserve dam into one used for daily drawdowns, says the Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP).

Its chief executive officer Datuk Seri Jaseni Maidinsa said the raw water stored in the EMD will be made available when the level of Sungai Muda runs low during the dry season, or when the river's water quality is compromised.

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"With this conversion, the EMD will function like the Air Itam and Teluk Bahang dams on the Island," he told a press conference at Komtar here on Friday ( Oct 7).

He said the main objective of the conversion is to mitigate the risks of a state-wide unscheduled water supply disruption whenever high turbidity of raw water from Sungai Muda threatens operations at the Sungai Dua water treatment plant.

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He said the other objective is to utilise water from Penang’s largest dam on a daily basis to support increasing demand in North and South Seberang Prai.

The conversion is part of PBAPP’s Raw Water Contingency Plan (RWCP) 2030 to ensure water supply security for the state until the year 2030.