Teluk Bahang Dam
Teluk Bahang Dam is a dam in George Town within the Malaysian state of Penang. Located northwest of the George Town, Penang|city centre], the dam is the largest in George Town, with an effective capacity of. Opened in 1999, it serves as a strategic water reserve during droughts, and supplies water to nearby suburbs such as Teluk Bahang, Batu Ferringhi and Tanjong Bungah.
Background
After World War II, George Town experienced continued population growth, raising concerns about the city's water sufficiency. In response, the George Town City Council initiated efforts to identify new sources of raw water. In 1950, a water intake scheme at Teluk Bahang was formed to be funded through a loan of $3.65 million from the Malayan federal government three years later. The new water intakes proved crucial for George Town, enabling the city to withstand prolonged droughts between 1958 and 1960.In 1961, during the construction of the Ayer Itam Dam, the city government's engineer Goh Heng Chong announced the need for an additional dam to meet George Town's increasing water consumption. Teluk Bahang was identified as the proposed site for this second dam. Following the completion of the Ayer Itam Dam in 1962, city officials stepped up efforts to finalise the location for the new dam, which was projected to cost $50 million. However, due to financial constraints, the project was put on hold by 1964.
History
In 1992, the Penang state government entered into a memorandum of understanding with the China International Water & Electric Corporation for the construction of a M$155 million reservoir at Teluk Bahang. The new dam was engineered to supply of water per day, which was approximately equivalent to George Town's daily water consumption during dry weather conditions at that time. The joint venture between the state government and CWE also included the development of pumping stations, pipelines, and a tunnel connecting the dam to Batu Ferringhi.Construction of the Teluk Bahang Dam commenced in 1996. The dam's cost had increased to RM240 million by 1997. The dam was officially inaugurated in 1999 by then Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. It is currently operated by the Penang Water Supply Corporation.