GEORGE TOWN, Sept 26 — Penang will not conduct any water rationing exercise, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has reassured consumers today.
The Penang lawmaker said hat the dams in the state are being filled up during the current rainy season, with the Air Itam Dam almost full and Teluk Bahang Dam above 50 per cent capacity.
“Our efficient water management also ensured that we will never impose water rationing.
“We have even endured the super El Niño prolonged dry spell without imposing water rationing and disruption to water supply,” he told a press conference after launching the B.Braun Genetics Week at Penang Science Cafe this morning.
Lim said the state government has been “tough” on the Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) management to ensure that water rationing will never be imposed on the state.
“This is so that our investors will know that they so nothing worry about water supply disruption ever in Penang since water is important for their operations here,” he said.
However, Lim said Penang still tops the list as the state with the highest water consumption due to its lowest water tariff nationally.
“We are the top with the cheapest water tariff of RM0.32 and yet we are also the top in water consumption of 300 litres per capita per day,” he said.
The PBAPP chairman said despite the state’s water conservation surcharge, water consumption remains high when compared to national average of 210 litres per capita per day.
He said the state is still focused on educating consumers to reduce consumption and brushed off suggestions of water tariff hikes to cut down consumption.
PBAPP last introduced water tariff hikes in April last year only for band two onwards for water consumption of more than 20,000 litres per month.
Even with the increase in tariff, Penang’s average domestic tariff for the first 35,000 litres of water consumed per month will be RM0.32 per 1,000 litres.
