Malaysia: Wet, wet Penang is dam full of water

The Star 26 Oct 16;

GEORGE TOWN: Penang is flushed with water while Selangor and Malacca face dry taps.

A check on Air Itam Dam showed that it was filled to the brim of its spillway tower.

As of yesterday, the dam is 96.9% full, while Teluk Bahang Dam is at 65.3% and Mengkuang Dam on the mainland 88.1%.

Teluk Bahang Dam, which is seven times larger than Air Itam’s, is a little over 10% fuller than it was about a month ago.

Going by Air Itam Dam, Penang is at its wettest since 2014 because Penang Water Supply Corporation chief executive officer Datuk Jaseni Maidinsa said the fullest this dam ever got was 84.1% in 2014 and 91.1% in 2015.

The bad news is that Penangites are being wasteful.

“People here use 291 litres per person per day in 2015. The national average is 209 litres. We would like this figure to be reduced to ensure a sustainable water supply,” he said.