'We can't rely on groundwater forever'

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Fri, 03/23/2007 4:26 PM  |  Jakarta

World Water Day, which fell on March 22, was guided by the theme ""Coping with Water Scarcity"". While tap water customers complain of poor service and inferior quality, many people living in the city are forced to buy bottled water. The Jakarta Post asked some residents about their water supply.

Heppy Hapsari, 25, is an IT company employee. She lives in Empang Tiga, South Jakarta:

It's hard to get clean water nowadays. When I lived in Manggarai, South Jakarta, the owner of the property built a well, which pumped clean groundwater to the surface.

The groundwater still looks clean but the taste is different -- even after it's been boiled.

The same thing happened when I lived in Jatibening, Bekasi. The quality of the water there is even worse. It contains too much iron, which gives it a yellowish color. I spend up to Rp 18,000 (US$1.90) a month on drinking water.

Retno Lestari, 31, works in advertising. She lives in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta:

I moved a few times before ending up in Kebayoran Baru. When I was still in Manggarai, South Jakarta, I had access to tap water. But the service was always unsatisfactory.

It was always on-again, off-again, especially after holidays. I completely understand why people prefer to use groundwater. But that's not a permanent solution because overdevelopment and the decreasing number of trees in the city are having a dramatic impact on groundwater supplies.

The government needs to be stricter about issuing building permits.

-- The Jakarta Post

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