Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) Sdn Bhd says it has been conducting and will continue to perform inspections of sewerage assets across Penang island, including along Jalan Burma where a sinkhole appeared on Sunday.
IWK said it has been carrying out comprehensive CCTV inspections and ground-penetrating radar scanning to assess the condition of the sewer lines.
The company also said upgrading and refurbishment works are being implemented through funding from the sewerage capital contribution fund.
“Across Penang island, the pipeline network spans 297km, and upgrade and refurbishment works will amount to RM284.7 million as part of ongoing efforts to address the island’s ageing sewerage infrastructure.
“As for the incident along Jalan Burma, IWK will continue its investigations to confirm the root cause of the collapse,” Bernama reported it as saying.
IWK said a collapsed sewer led to a joint dislocation which caused the sinkhole, which could occur unexpectedly under heavy load and not necessarily as a result of ageing assets.
It also clarified that the collapse was not due to a force main (pressurised sewer pipe), and the collapse involved a 525mm diameter gravity line.
“For public safety, the affected section of the road has been temporarily closed, with urgent repair works now entering day two and (it is) expected to take another four days to complete.
“IWK is taking all necessary measures to address the issue promptly and safely, and thanks the public for their patience and understanding during this time,” it said.
