Penang:A sudden power disruption brought operations at the Sungai Dua Water Treatment Plant (WTP) to a halt, impacting the water supply for 130,790 users in Seberang Perai and Penang Island.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) CEO Datuk K. Pathmanathan reported that as of 4.30 pm, water supply had been restored to 125,290 users, accounting for 96 percent of those affected. Efforts are underway to restore service to the remaining 5,500 users by midnight.

The disruption, caused by an incident involving Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB), stopped pumping, treatment, and chemical dosing operations at 11.17 pm on October 8. Despite the plant's backup generators, they could not be activated quickly enough to maintain operations. In response, PBAPP activated its Emergency Response Plan to manage the situation.

Restoring the water supply involves a complex process, including restarting treatment units and pumps sequentially, reactivating the chemical dosing system, removing trapped air from pipelines, and gradually increasing water pressure.

This marks the fourth power disruption affecting the Sungai Dua WTP. PBAPP is evaluating options to improve backup power capabilities, such as implementing a battery energy storage system, to ensure critical operations continue during future short-term power outages.