PBAPP to Commission New Water Treatment Plant in Southern Penang as Demand Continues to Grow
GEORGE TOWN: Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) is set to strengthen water supply capacity in Seberang Perai Selatan (SPS) with the commissioning of a new water treatment plant capable of producing 80 million litres of treated water per day, scheduled to begin operations in 2027.
The new facility forms part of PBAPP’s broader long-term strategy to enhance water security in southern Penang as population growth, industrial expansion and major development projects continue driving higher water demand across the district.
PBAPP Chief Executive Officer Datuk K. Pathmanathan said the plant will be developed under a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) arrangement and will utilise raw water sourced from Sungai Kerian. Additional details regarding the project are expected to be announced in the near future.
According to him, the project represents one of several medium-term initiatives designed to ensure sufficient treated water supply for both residential consumers and expanding industrial activities in Seberang Perai Selatan.
Beyond the 2027 project, PBAPP has also outlined additional infrastructure developments under its Water Contingency Plan 2030 (WCP 2030). A larger Sungai Kerian Water Treatment Plant with a production capacity of 114 million litres per day is expected to commence operations by 2030, further strengthening supply reliability in the district.
The corporation also expects the Perak-Penang Water Supply Project to become operational in 2031. Once completed, the project is projected to deliver between 300 million and 500 million litres of treated water daily from Perak to Seberang Perai Selatan, while also supporting water distribution to neighbouring Seberang Perai Tengah.
As part of its current infrastructure, PBAPP has already been operating a compact water treatment plant in SPS since March last year. Built at a cost of RM8.1 million, the facility produces up to 6.4 million litres of treated water daily using raw water from Sungai Kerian and currently supplies approximately 4,000 nearby consumers as an interim engineering solution.
PBAPP’s latest records show that Seberang Perai Selatan had 87,611 registered water consumers in 2025, with average daily consumption reaching 116.8 million litres, representing around 13.5 per cent of Penang’s total water usage.
The corporation expects demand to continue increasing significantly over the coming decade, particularly following the development of Batu Kawan Industrial Park 3 (BKIP3), a RM2.2 billion industrial project covering approximately 165 hectares. Water demand within the industrial park alone is projected to reach around 220 million litres per day during the 2030s.
Additional large-scale developments, including the SkyWorld Cassia township and the proposed Siliconware Precision semiconductor manufacturing facility, are also expected to contribute to higher water consumption across southern Penang.
PBAPP said the combination of new treatment facilities and inter-state water supply infrastructure will provide greater resilience for Penang’s water network while supporting future economic growth, industrial investment and community development across the state.
