Perai: Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Pinang (PBAPP) is undertaking the construction of a RM250 million Water Treatment Plant (WTP) at the Mengkuang Dam, as announced by Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow. The project aims to supply up to 114 million litres per day (MLD) of treated water to consumers in the Seberang Perai Tengah (SPT) district and is expected to be completed by November next year.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the Taman Mengkuang WTP project will take about 18 months to complete. It will utilize the daily water supply from the Expanded Mengkuang Dam (EMD), the largest dam in the state. The EMD currently functions as a strategic water storage facility, releasing water during emergencies when the Sungai Dua Water Treatment Plant (WTP) cannot draw sufficient water from Sungai Muda.
Starting November 2026, the EMD will transition into a dual-purpose dam. It will release raw water daily to support the Taman Mengkuang WTP while continuing to act as an emergency backup source for the Sungai Dua WTP under abnormal conditions. Chief Minister Chow, who also serves as PBAPP chairman, highlighted these developments during the groundbreaking ceremony for the Taman Mengkuang WTP Project.
He emphasized that the new WTP is part of the state government's proactive measures to meet the growing water demand. Water consumption in Penang has increased from 813 million litres per day (JLH) in 2014 to 870 JLH in 2024, with projections indicating a rise to 1,103 JLH by 2030.
Datuk K. Pathmanathan, PBAPP chief executive officer, outlined the components of the project, which include a 114-JLH water treatment module, a backwash pump house, a chemical dosing building, and a treated water tank. Additional constructions include a sludge treatment building, a cleaning pump, a chemical waste storage pond, and an administration building equipped with a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system.
The project also involves installing a 1,200-millimetre (mm) diameter raw water discharge pipe from the dam and a 900mm-diameter treated water production pipe for connection to the existing treated water supply line. It encompasses all civil, structural, mechanical, and electrical works.
Pathmanathan noted that currently, the majority of the treated water supply for SPT is sourced from the Sungai Dua WWTP in Seberang Perai Utara (SPU). This reliance is anticipated to decrease once the Taman Mengkuang WWTP becomes operational. The new LRA will not only bolster the water supply in SPT but also provide indirect benefits to consumers in SPU and South Seberang Perai (SPS).
He further mentioned that the Taman Mengkuang LRA is the third project under the Water Contingency Plan 2030 (WCP 2030), with five more projects remaining to be completed before 2030.