LETTERS: Penangites are bracing themselves for unexpected water cuts because of burst pipelines.
Many of the pipes and valves are more than 50 years old and it is necessary to change them — but systematically — because water is a precious commodity and should not be allowed to leak.
It is pointless at this juncture to point fingers at whoever is responsible for deciding to place the 1,350mm pipeline in Sungai Prai but evidently, it was a bad idea and it should be avoided in the future.
Anyway, Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) had announced that a new pipe would be built above the river surface.
Having a pipeline underwater has many disadvantages including:
Difficulty in monitoring the condition of the pipeline;
If the pipe bursts (such as in recent incidents), repairs are extremely difficult to carry out, requiring special equipment and a different skill set to handle the job; and
Encasing it in concrete does not protect it from water corrosion if the concrete fails.
The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) wishes to reiterate that PBAPP, besides changing the main pipeline, has to consider the ageing distribution pipelines as well.
There were occasions when residents of housing estates complained of low water pressure to their houses because of burst pipes in their area.
The age and condition of the valves and pipelines have much to tell about the dire need for PBAPP to engage in preventive maintenance.
The pipelines should be mapped and checked to ensure that there are no water leakages.
Therefore, CAP urges PBAPP to get its act together in dealing with the cause of water cuts.
MOHIDEEN ABDUL KADER
President, CAP
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times
