THE newly constructed Sungai Dua Dewatering Plant (SDDP), a state-of-the-art facility designed to manage residue generated at the Sungai Dua Water Treatment Plant (Sungai Dua WTP), officially commenced operations today.
Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) chief executive officer Datuk K. Pathmanathan announced that the RM20 million facility, outsourced to Alam Aliran Kualiti (M) Sdn Bhd, will operate under PBAPP’s supervision.
Alam Aliran Kualiti, a Penang-based company specialising in scheduled waste management and wastewater treatment, will oversee its daily operations.
“SDDP has the capacity to safely handle up to 500 metric tons (mt) of WTP residue daily. In 2024, the Sungai Dua WTP produced an average of 1,021 million litres per day (MLD) of treated water, supplying approximately 465,000 consumers in Seberang Perai and Penang Island. This process generated around 450mt of residue daily.
“To put this into perspective, let us compare the residue’s weight to that of a Perodua Ativa, a popular compact SUV. A Perodua Ativa weighs 1.035mt, meaning that 450mt of residue is roughly equivalent to the mass of 435 Ativas!
“Please note that the maximum design capacity of the SDDP is 500mt. The additional 50mt margin accommodates the production of up to 1,342 MLD of treated water per day in the future,” Pathmanathan said in his speech before Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow officiated the new plant at Sungai Dua WTP today.
Also present were Penang State Secretary Datuk Zulkifli Long, state Trade, Entrepreneurial Development and Rural Development Committee chairman Datuk Rashidi Zinol, state Housing and Environment Committee chairman Datuk Seri Sundarajoo Somu, Seri Delima assemblyman Connie Tan Hooi Peng and Alam Aliran Kualiti (M) Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Balan Agambran.
Pathmanathan emphasised that the SDDP brings multiple benefits, particularly in enhancing the safety and environmental sustainability of WTP residue management.
“It is also in compliance with the Department of Environment (DoE) regulations on the disposal of WTP residue which is classified as a scheduled waste in Malaysia.
“As we continue to do more to supply more water in Penang, we will also strive to do things better.
“The operations of this SDDP will make sure that our water treatment operations at Sungai Dua are safer and more environmentally friendly. This is the way forward,” he said.
Pathmanathan added that PBAPP has signed a 15-year contract with Alam Aliran Kualiti to process the WTP residue in the Sungai Dua WTP.
“PBAPP will oversee the operations of the SDDP to ensure that the facility and its end-product comply with DoE regulations,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chow said the new SDDP will enable the proper handling of WTP residue in compliance with DoE regulations at a fraction of conventional disposal costs.
“The best aspect of the SDDP is that it can handle the WTP residue at a cost of RM145 per mt which is very much cheaper than the projected cost of RM550 per mt for the disposal of unprocessed WTP residue.
“The official opening of SDDP also resolves a 16-year-old issue in an environmentally friendly and cost-effective manner.
“It is a facility that will dewater, process and dispose of WTP residue every day without compromising the environment.
“When we take into account the massive amount of WTP residue that is generated in the Sungai Dua WTP annually, the waste disposal cost savings will be between RM60 million and RM70 million a year, from this year onwards,” said Chow.
Story by Riadz Akmal
Pix by Law Suun Ting
Video by Alissala Thian