Aetra pulls the plug on illegal tap water connection in Cakung-Cilincing

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Sat, 05/10/2008 10:34 AM  |  City

City water operator PT Aetra Air Jakarta (Aetra), formerly PT Thames Pam Jaya, on Friday closed an illegal tap water connection near Jl. Raya Cakung-Cilincing.

The company's investigating team showed reporters more than five houses and kiosks illegally attached to its 25-centimeter-diameter pipe that passes along the street.

The perpetrators, yet to be identified, connected to the pipe using plastic pipes.

A resident, Yatin, said his family used clean water from the connection to cook food for the past four months in his 12-square-meter house that also serves as a barber shop.

"I pay Rp 10,000 (11 US cents) to Rp 20,000 to a man who also collects money from other kiosks every month," he said.

He said he had collected tap water from a mosque nearby for daily needs before having the current connection.

Toya, an food stall owner, said he paid Rp 300,000 to get the connection to his house and regularly paid Rp 50,000 to the people who installed it.

"Five people came here offering to connect me to water that was bursting from the soil, where the water pipe was laid. They were wearing uniforms and said they were from an official office," he said, adding that he had used the illegal connection for seven months.

M. Natsir, the leader of the investigating team, said he suspected that some Aetra employees might be behind the action.

"That's usually what happens. If we can prove several employees are responsible for this illegal connection, we will either fire or sue them" he said.

Company communications director Rhamses Simanjuntak said he had yet calculate the company's loss for the connection but he would ask the people who had used the water to pay a fine.

"It depends on how long and how much they've used the water," he said after seeing the illegal connection closed.

He said the owners of houses and kiosks in the area were squatters who could not attain legal connections.

Rhamses said the owners should link themselves with the nearest legal settlements to get tap water connections.

He said his company had not contacted the company that occupied the land plot, PT Emitraco Investama Mandiri, which also allegedly used the water for workers. (ind)

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