The state government is looking into the imposing a penalty on consumers who use excessive water, and incentive such as

discounts for those who use water below a certain level, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said.

He said the people of Penang used an average of 283 litres of water per person per day, exceeding Unesco's recommended daily usage of 160 litres.

"We have tried to persuade consumers to save water but to no avail.

"So we are now considering imposing penalty and giving incentive in our effort to conserve water," he told reporters in Penang.

The proposal would be discussed at a PBA Holding Bhd's meeting either next month or in April, he said, adding that the process could take up to three months to implement.

He added that the excessive water usage in the state could be due to the low tariff, which is 31 sen per litre.

The state government, however, had no plans to increase the tariff, he said.

- Bernama