Penang: Penang Water Supply Corporation Sdn Bhd (PBAPP) has sought immediate intervention from the Federal Government to avert a potential water crisis in Penang and Kedah following declining levels of Sungai Muda and increasingly worrying capacity at key dams.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the request involves the National Water Services Commission (SPAN) and the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (PETRA). Chow, who is also PBAPP and PBA Holdings Bhd (PBAHB) chairman, reported that the water level of Sungai Muda at Muka Sauk Lahar Tiang had remained below the safe level of 2.0 metres for eight consecutive days from April 22 to 29, with daily average levels ranging between 1.38 metres and 1.71 metres.

'The normal raw water abstraction rate by PBAPP from Sungai Muda is 1,119 million litres per day (MLD), while over the past eight days, the lowest abstraction was limited to 896 MLD. To ensure the Sungai Dua Water Treatment Plant operates at optimum capacity and to avoid a shortage of treated water supply in Penang, PBAPP has released between 58 MLD and 274 MLD from the Expanded Mengkuang Dam (EMD),' he stated.

Chow highlighted that the EMD capacity declined by 1.9 per cent over the same period, from 92.1 per cent to 90.2 per cent, while the capacity of Beris Dam in Kedah also recorded a 4.6 per cent drop within eight days, with an average daily decrease of 0.58 per cent. 'Currently, Beris Dam is the only dam in Kedah capable of releasing water into the Sungai Muda system to support water supply and irrigation needs. If there is no heavy rainfall in the catchment areas of Beris Dam and Muda Dam in May, June and July 2026, the Sungai Muda system risks running dry,' he emphasized.

Chow also noted that there are 11 water supply intake points and nine irrigation intake points in Penang and Kedah that depend entirely on the river. He pointed out that the situation at Muda Dam is also critical, with its capacity plunging from 84.6 per cent in early January to just 8.7 per cent as of yesterday, and if the downward trend continues, Beris Dam is expected to reach the critical level of 20 per cent in about 55 days.

'Penang and Kedah rely on raw water sources from Sungai Muda daily to ensure sufficient water supply for millions of users, including multinational corporations and small and medium enterprises in Bayan Lepas, Prai, Batu Kawan, Mak Mandin and Kulim,' he added. He concluded that cloud seeding efforts in Kedah may help, but this would not guarantee sufficient rainfall to restore dam levels to safe thresholds.