RM250 million water treatment plant to be built at Mengkuang dam for consumers in SPT

BUKIT MERTAJAM: Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Pinang (PBAPP) is building a RM250 million Water Treatment Plant (WTP) at the Mengkuang Dam here, said Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.
He said the proposed project, which will be about 550 metres from the Expanded Mengkuang Dam (EMD), when completed in November next year, is capable of supplying a maximum of 114 million litres per day (MLD) of treated water to consumers, particularly in the Seberang Perai Tengah (SPT) district.
The Taman Mengkuang WTP project, expected to take 18 months to complete, will draw daily water supply from the EMD, which is the largest dam in the state, he said.
'So far, the EMD has served as a strategic water storage dam, releasing water only during emergencies when the Sungai Dua Water Treatment Plant (WTP) is unable to abstract sufficient water from Sungai Muda.
'However, starting November 2026, EMD will transition into a dual-purpose dam. Once fully operational, it will release raw water daily to support the Taman Mengkuang WTP, while continuing to serve as an emergency backup source for the Sungai Dua WTP under abnormal conditions,' he added.
Chow, who is PBAPP chairman, told reporters this after opening the groundbreaking ceremony for the Taman Mengkuang WTP Project here today.
He said the construction of the new WTP was among the proactive measures taken by the state government to address the growing water demand, as Penang's water consumption has risen from 813 million litres per day (JLH) in 2014 to 870 JLH in 2024, with projections indicating it will further increase to 1,103 JLH by 2030.
Meanwhile, PBAPP chief executive officer Datuk K. Pathmanathan said the project includes the construction of a 114-JLH water treatment module, a backwash pump house, a chemical dosing building and a treated water tank.
In addition, he said, it also involves the construction of a sludge treatment building, a cleaning pump and a chemical waste storage pond, a storage pond and an administration building equipped with a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system.
'This contract also includes the installation of a 1,200-millimetre (mm) diameter raw water discharge pipe from the dam and a 900mm-diametre treated water production pipe for connection to the existing treated water supply line.
'It also involves all civil, structural, mechanical and electrical works,' he said.
According to Pathmanathan, currently, most of the treated water supply at SPT is drawn from the Sungai Dua WWTP in Seberang Perai Utara (SPU), but this dependence is expected to decrease when the Taman Mengkuang WWTP begins operating.
He said the new LRA would not only strengthen the water supply in SPT but also provide indirect benefits to consumers in SPU and South Seberang Perai (SPS).
He said the Taman Mengkuang LRA is the third project under the Water Contingency Plan 2030 (WCP 2030), and there are five more projects under the plan that need to be completed before 2030.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

The Sun

17 hours ago

• The Sun

RM1.5 million PHEKS grant approved for Northern Zone unions

BUTTERWORTH: The Human Resources Ministry (KESUMA) has approved 124 applications for the Union Affairs Development Grant (PHEKS), amounting to RM1.5 million, for the Northern Zone, covering Perak, Penang, Kedah and Perlis. Human Resources Minister Steven Sim said this included 26 approved applications worth RM261,988 in Penang; 21 applications worth RM384,670 in Kedah; 15 applications valued at RM211,569 in Perlis; and 52 applications in Perak involving RM656,722. 'Overall, a total of 1,049 PHEKS applications were received this year from various trade unions nationwide, of which 551 applications amounting to RM7.15 million were approved,' he said. 'I hope this allocation will be put to good use to strengthen our unions,' he said at the Northern Zone PHEKS 2025 assistance presentation ceremony here today, which was also attended by Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow. This year, the government allocated RM10 million for the implementation of PHEKS, the highest in history, compared with RM5.8 million last year. A total of RM7.15 million was distributed to trade unions under approved clusters, while RM2.85 million was allocated for the outreach and community service programmes. Sim added that his ministry is targeting two million union members nationwide by the end of this year. He expressed confidence in reaching the target, noting that the number of new trade unions formed last year was five times higher than in previous years. He said the MADANI Worker Card initiative has also helped boost trade union membership, which currently stands at one million, by offering discounts of up to 30 per cent at over 200 companies providing essential goods and services to registered members. The PHEKS is a one-off financial aid provided to registered trade unions in Malaysia through the Department of Trade Union Affairs (JHEKS) under the KESUMA to support union-related activities. Trade unions may apply for assistance under five designated clusters: Training and Education; Trade Union Movement Studies; Academic Writing on Labour Issues; purchase of IT equipment such as for the digitalisation of union management records.

New Straits Times

18 hours ago

• New Straits Times

HR Ministry approves RM1.5mil for northern trade unions

BUTTERWORTH: The Human Resources Ministry has approved 124 applications for the Union Affairs Development Grant (PHEKS), amounting to RM1.5 million, for the Northern Zone, covering Perak, Penang, Kedah and Perlis. Human Resources Minister Steven Sim said this included 26 approved applications worth RM261,988 in Penang; 21 applications worth RM384,670 in Kedah; 15 applications valued at RM211,569 in Perlis; and 52 applications in Perak involving RM656,722. "Overall, a total of 1,049 PHEKS applications were received this year from various trade unions nationwide, of which 551 applications amounting to RM7.15 million were approved," he said. "I hope this allocation will be put to good use to strengthen our unions," he said at the Northern Zone PHEKS 2025 assistance presentation ceremony here today, which was also attended by Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow. This year, the government allocated RM10 million for the implementation of PHEKS, the highest in history, compared with RM5.8 million last year. A total of RM7.15 million was distributed to trade unions under approved clusters, while RM2.85 million was allocated for the outreach and community service programmes. Sim said the ministry is targeting two million union members nationwide by the end of this year. He expressed confidence in reaching the target, noting that the number of new trade unions formed last year was five times higher than in previous years. He said the Madani Worker Card initiative has also helped boost trade union membership, which currently stands at one million, by offering discounts of up to 30 per cent at over 200 companies providing essential goods and services to registered members. The PHEKS is a one-off financial aid provided to registered trade unions in Malaysia through the Department of Trade Union Affairs (JHEKS), under the HR Ministry, to support union-related activities. Trade unions may apply for assistance under these designated clusters: training and education; trade union movement studies; academic writing on labour issues; purchase of IT equipment and the digitalisation of union management records.

Barnama

19 hours ago

• Barnama

KESUMA Approves RM1.5 Million For Northern Zone PHEKS

BUTTERWORTH, June 22 (Bernama) -- The Human Resources Ministry (KESUMA) has approved 124 applications for the Union Affairs Development Grant (PHEKS), amounting to RM1.5 million, for the Northern Zone, covering Perak, Penang, Kedah and Perlis. Human Resources Minister Steven Sim said this included 26 approved applications worth RM261,988 in Penang; 21 applications worth RM384,670 in Kedah; 15 applications valued at RM211,569 in Perlis; and 52 applications in Perak involving RM656,722. 'Overall, a total of 1,049 PHEKS applications were received this year from various trade unions nationwide, of which 551 applications amounting to RM7.15 million were approved,' he said. 'I hope this allocation will be put to good use to strengthen our unions,' he said at the Northern Zone PHEKS 2025 assistance presentation ceremony here today, which was also attended by Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow. This year, the government allocated RM10 million for the implementation of PHEKS, the highest in history, compared with RM5.8 million last year. A total of RM7.15 million was distributed to trade unions under approved clusters, while RM2.85 million was allocated for the outreach and community service programmes. Sim added that his ministry is targeting two million union members nationwide by the end of this year. He expressed confidence in reaching the target, noting that the number of new trade unions formed last year was five times higher than in previous years. He said the MADANI Worker Card initiative has also helped boost trade union membership, which currently stands at one million, by offering discounts of up to 30 per cent at over 200 companies providing essential goods and services to registered members. The PHEKS is a one-off financial aid provided to registered trade unions in Malaysia through the Department of Trade Union Affairs (JHEKS) under the KESUMA to support union-related activities.