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Penang taps flowing again after major water upgrades

Penang taps flowing again after major water upgrades

GEORGE TOWN: Water supply across Penang has been fully restored, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said today.
He said the 23 water-related projects carried out during the scheduled water supply interruption (SWSI) since Friday night had improved the pumping capacity and distribution of treated water from the Sungai Dua Water Treatment Plant (WTP) — the largest and most critical WTP in the state.
"The final areas to achieve full restoration, involving 400 accounts near Gertak Sanggul in the southwest district, received supply at 6.45pm today after delays caused by trapped air in the pipelines," he said in a statement.
Chow said five main benefits were achieved through the SWSI:
-Increased daily treated water supply from Sungai Dua WTP for 465,000 users across all five districts.
-Improved water pressure, especially during high-demand periods.
-Reduced unstable supply issues in End-of-Line and highland areas in Seberang Prai Selatan and the southwest district.
-Faster recovery from future water disruptions.
-Potential reduction of Non-Revenue Water (NRW) through major leak repairs.
Chow thanked affected users for their patience and prayers, and praised the Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP), state leadership, local councils, and assisting agencies for their cooperation.
Earlier, it was reported that 99 per cent of affected users — 337,000 out of 341,708 accounts — had already had their water supply restored.

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