GEORGE TOWN: The Federal Government has been urged to not approve the Kulim International Airport (KXP) and Kedah Aerotropolis project as it would result in wastewater being discharged into Sungai Muda.

       Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) chief executive officer Datuk Jaseni Maidinsa said based on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report of the project, wastewater from the sewage treatment plant will be discharged into Sungai Muda, six kilometres upstream of Lahar Tiang Intake.

       "According to documents published by the Federal Government, the proposed KXP and 'Aerotropolis' project will discharge wastewater into Sungai Muda, the primary raw water resource for Penang and south Kedah,” said Jaseni.

       "The Department of Environment, under the Ministry of Environment and Water (KASA), has published the public consultation documents regarding the KXP environmental impact assessment (EIA) report online,” he added.

       Jaseni added that the report shows the planned location of a sewage treatment plant (STP) point is at Sungai Jerong, a tributary of Sungai Muda.

       "This STP point is just 2km away from Sungai Muda. In all likelihood, it will discharge wastewater into Sungai Jerong, which will then flow into Sungai Muda.

       "Downstream of this STP point are Kedah’s three SADA water treatment plant intakes and seven JPS irrigation intakes as well as Penang’s one water treatment plant intake and two JPS irrigation intakes," said Jaseni in a statement on Monday (Aug 30).

       Jaseni added that PBAPP abstracts raw water from Sungai Muda at its Lahar Tiang Intake daily, just six kilometres downstream of the point where wastewater will be discharged from the KXP project site.

       "More than 80% of the raw water that Penang needs daily is abstracted from Sungai Muda at the Lahar Tiang Intake in north Seberang Prai.

       "Since 1973, when the Muda River Water Scheme was commissioned, PBAPP has been carefully monitoring the quality of raw water abstracted from Sungai Muda. Every day, we seek to minimise raw water quality risks, with our customers’ safety and good health in mind," he added

       Jaseni then urged the Federal Government to not allow or approve a massive project that discharges wastewater into Penang’s primary raw water resource.

       "If anything goes wrong in the KXP project site upstream, water supply services in Penang and South Kedah will be immediately and inevitably compromised.

       "The well-being and good health of the people must be considered as a matter of the highest priority," he said, and proposed that the project be relocated.