Ahmad Hafizzi showed the water pressure is still low at his house in Kampung Kongsi Balik Pulau. — LIM BENG TATT/The Star
BALIK PULAU: Some villagers in the southwest district of Penang are still waiting for their water supply to resume.
Households and business premises located in the end-of-line and higher ground areas are still depending on stored water and static tanks placed by the authorities.
ALSO READ: Phase two of water supply restoration in Penang completed at 6am
At Kampung Kongsi here, about 50 houses are still without water supply.
Ahmad Hafizzi Arshad, 38, said he is still storing water for use.
"It's been difficult, we cannot cook or wash our clothes as the water we stored is only enough for taking our bath," he said.
He said although the water supply resumed early this morning, the pressure was very low.
"It takes at least one whole night to refill a big water container," he added.
Food stall operator Mohd Asri Ali, 53, said he has prepared enough water containers from the first day of the water cut.
"The water coming in is very minimal, it is very difficult for us but business has to open because this is our only source of income," he said.
Mohd Asri said he stored enough water because he realised Balik Pulau is usually one of the last places to get back the water supply.
It is still dry further up in Bukit Penara.
Goan Teoh, 36, said his area is located higher up in the hilly areas of Balik Pulau.
"Luckily, the volunteer fire brigade's personnel do their rounds often to check on us whether we have enough water supply or not," he said.
Teoh said he has to minimise the usage of water that he has stored.
Residents at Taman Widuri Flat In Gertak Sanggul, which is located at the end-of-line water supply, are glad that the supply has resumed.
Technician Hamzah Tajol Ariff, 50, said he and the other residents started getting their water supply back since 4am on Friday (Jan 12).
"I was hoping that the water disruption won’t last more than two days and I was relieved when supply resumed on Friday," he said.
Kuala Sungai Pinang Volunteer Fire Brigade spokesman Ooi Lay Peng said the fire brigade team worked around the clock to ensure residents in the district had enough water for their daily use.
"Since the first day of the scheduled water supply interruption, our team has tried to reach out and help as many villagers as possible.
"We have three vehicles that can contain about 2,000 litres of water," she said.
Ooi, 45, said since Friday, volunteer fire brigade teams from other districts also came to help out in the southwest district.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the Penang government is planning to construct a temporary pipeline along the banks of Sungai Prai to divert water from the old underwater pipes along the river.
"These temporary pipes will replace the underwater pipes that are leaking again," he said after visiting the Sungai Prai worksite on Saturday (Jan 13).
He said the Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP), Public Works Department and Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) held a meeting to decide on the method for temporary pipe installation to replace the leaking pipes at the bottom of Sungai Prai.
Chow said the pipes channelled water to 40% of users in Penang, particularly in the southwest district.
He said work begins today with the construction of the temporary pipes where two pipes measuring 600mm each will be built 10 metres from Ampang Jajar bridge.
He said the works won't affect the water supply to the residents.
The water cut affecting a total of 590,000 water consumers was scheduled from Jan 10 to 14.
The public who need urgent assistance can call PBAPP’s 24-hour call centre at 04-255 8255.
Besides the 24-hour call centre, the public can also contact PBAPP’s other communication channels at the MyPBA app, MyPBAPortal, PBAPP’s Facebook page or email customer@pba.com.my.
The public can also contact the state secretary office at 04-262 1819/262 1207, Northeast (04-228 3781), Southwest (04-866 4695), North Seberang Prai (04-577 6521), Central Seberang Prai (04-538 1963) and South Seberang Prai (04-585 7873).
