Penang: Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Pinang (PBAPP) aims to reduce the state's domestic water consumption to 250 litres per capita per day (LPCD) this year through various water-saving initiatives involving multiple stakeholders. Its chief executive officer, Datuk K. Pathmanathan, stated that the target is attainable if domestic users consistently practice water conservation, emphasizing that even small household savings can significantly impact the state's overall water usage.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the LPCD rate in Penang has shown a decline in recent years due to strategic collaboration between PBAPP, Water Watch Penang (WWP), and Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). In 2022, Penang's LPCD rate stood at 307 litres per day, slightly increasing to 308 litres per day the following year. However, last year saw a decline to 261 litres per day, a notable achievement resulting from joint efforts by various parties, including WWP and USM.

PBAPP is now focusing on achieving the target of 250 litres per day, given that the national average currently stands at around 225 litres per day. Pathmanathan highlighted that there is still room to reach the target, emphasizing that even small savings by domestic users can contribute to reducing overall water consumption. He made these remarks during the state-level World Water Day celebration at the USM Parade Ground, officiated by Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow and attended by WWP president Chan Ngai Weng.

Pathmanathan further urged domestic consumers in the state to adopt an 'active water-saving' culture to ensure sufficient water supply amid the challenges of climate change and increasing pressure on water resources. He noted that reducing domestic water consumption is as crucial as efforts to increase water supply capacity through major projects being implemented by the federal government, the state government, and PBAPP.

Last year, Penang's average water consumption was recorded at 865 million litres per day (MLD), with 482 MLD or 55.7% used by households. The remaining 383 MLD was consumed by non-domestic sectors such as factories, hotels, shopping malls, business premises, and government offices. Pathmanathan also pointed out that Penang's limited land area of just 1,158 square kilometres contributes to the state's constrained raw water resources.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Chow stated that achieving the 250 LPCD target in Penang could extend the effective capacity of the Air Itam Dam and Teluk Bahang Dam by 37.3% during hot and dry periods. He noted that the extended reserve capacity of the dams could be crucial in averting a water crisis during hot and dry El Nino years.

Chow added that the required contribution from each individual is a small saving of about 17 litres per day. When adopted collectively by Penang's 1.8 million residents, this practice could result in significant cumulative savings of up to 30.6 million litres per day (MLD). From a reservoir data analysis perspective, these collective savings could directly reduce daily reliance on the Air Itam Dam and Teluk Bahang Dam by 37.3%.