Water cuts may last until end of January if reclamping efforts fail on Sungai Prai burst pipe, says CM

GEORGE TOWN: The underwater pipeline in Sungai Prai which earlier burst and leaked for the fourth time on Tuesday will be patched up again, said Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.

This time, the hole on the 1,350mm pipe measures 1.05m by 0.65m, he said.

Chow, who is Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) chairman, said divers have inspected the leak and the state committee has agreed for the pipeline to be clamped as a short-term measure described as Plan A.

"The reclamping is scheduled to be completed by 8am on Thursday (Jan 25).

"If Plan A succeeds, it will recover water supply services for 84% to 120,000 affected accounts by 8am on Friday (Jan 26) and the remaining 16% by 8am on Saturday (Jan 27)," he said during a press conference on Wednesday (Jan 24).

Chow said if the reclamping fails, affected consumers would have to bear with the water disruption until Plan B, which is ongoing, to completed by the end of the month.

"Plan B involves expediting the diversion work to commission two new 600mm pipelines across Sungai Prai to replace the 1,350mm pipeline section.

"Work has started since Jan 14 and work was supposed to take 21 days to complete, but we will expedite to complete all preparatory site works by Monday (Jan 29).

"Once done, there will be scheduled water supply disruption to disconnect the underwater pipeline and reconnect it to the two new pipes which is expected to be completed by Tuesday (Jan 30).

"Recovery of water supply will then proceed to all affected consumers within the next two days," he said.

Chow said Plan A is a temporary solution to restore the water supply to have between two to three days for the final stages of Plan B.

"If the reclamping work under Plan A fails, affected consumers would have to bear with water disruption until next Wednesday (Jan 31) when the two new pipelines are reconnected," he said.

On Tuesday (Jan 23), the underwater pipeline burst again at about 5pm.

In December last year, the pipeline burst and caused unscheduled water disruption to some 200,000 accounts for a week.

It was patched up but leaked again on Jan 10 and on Jan 12.