GEORGE TOWN: With water levels at Muda dam at critical low and Beris dam steadily declining, Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) is seeking federal intervention to avert a potential water crisis.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the PBAPP would request the National Water Services Commission and the Energy Transition and Water Transformation Ministry to look into the matter.
He said Muda dam’s capacity has dropped to 8.7% while the water level in Sungai Muda have remained below the safe 2m threshold for eight consecutive days since April 22.
Beris dam, meanwhile, fell 4.6% over the same period, from 56.5% to 51.9%, an average daily decline of 0.58%.
“Beris dam is the only dam in Kedah capable of releasing water into the Sungai Muda system for supply and irrigation.
“At this rate, it could reach the critical 20% level in about 55 days. Without significant rainfall in the catchment areas of Beris and Muda dams between May and July, the Sungai Muda system risks running dry.
“A total of 11 water supply intake points and nine irrigation intakes in Penang and Kedah depend entirely on Sungai Muda,” he said in a statement.
Chow added that PBAPP typically abstracts 1,119 million litres per day (mld) from Sungai Muda but over the past eight days, this dropped to as low as 896 mld.
To maintain optimal operations at the Sungai Dua water treatment plant and prevent supply shortages, PBAPP has released between 58 and 274 mld from the expanded Mengkuang dam.
He said both states rely heavily on Sungai Muda for raw water, supplying millions of users, including multinational firms and SMEs in Bayan Lepas, Prai, Batu Kawan, Mak Mandin and Kulim.
Cloud seeding in Kedah may offer some relief, he added, but is unlikely to generate enough rainfall to restore dam levels to safe thresholds.
