GEORGE TOWN: With continuous rainfall filling the Air Itam Dam to the brim, efforts are being made to control the increasing water levels.
Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) chief executive officer Datuk K. Pathmanathan said that if the rain persisted, excess water could overflow from the dam's spillway and into the rivers that course through George Town.
"The current production rate is 57 million litres per day (MLD). We (PBAPP) can increase it to a maximum of 65 MLD to treat surplus water from unexpected rainfall.
"We will continue to maintain the dam level at 85% to allow storage of any possible water from heavy rain," he said when contacted by The Star on Saturday (Oct 25).
Current dam levels stand at: Ayer Itam (98.7%), Teluk Bahang (69.7%) and Mengkuang (91.5%).
Pathmanathan added that PBAPP was pumping water from Sungai Kulim to ease flooding in the surrounding area.
A springtide is forecasted for Penang until Sunday (Oct 26), with high tides from 3am to 3pm expected to rise up to 2.5m.
This will push seawater upriver and slow the flow of river water out to sea, adding to the rise in water levels.
Penang has been battered by heavy rain and strong winds over the past week, resulting in multiple landslides, fallen trees and flash floods.
