Water sellers drain the pockets of Yogya residents amid drought

Slamet Susanto ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Yogyakarta   |  Mon, 07/07/2008 10:31 AM  |  The Archipelago

AQUARIUS: A resident of Gunungkidul regency, Yogyakarta, climbs out of a dark 25-meter-deep cave carrying drinking water. Many local residents have been forced to walk several kilometers to find potable water during the dry season. (JP/Slamet Susanto)

Many of the 130,000 residents in Gunungkidul regency, Yogyakarta, must walk several kilometers to get potable water during the dry season, unless they can afford to buy it.

Gunungkidul, surrounded by limestone hills, has no surface water and its underground river network has not yet been properly exploited as a water source.

During the wet season, residents depend on rainwater in ponds or retained in tanks, but these disappear in the dry season.

Enterprising people have capitalized on the water shortage, with water traders flourishing thanks to high local demand for potable water. Each day, dozens of tankers travel around the villages selling water.

Youths in Petoyan hamlet in Purwosari, Gunungkidul, for example, have been managing a local water source by collecting water in a reservoir and marketing it.

"Rather than being jobless and just hanging around, working on local water distribution is not a bad way to pass the time and generate income for the village," local youth venture coordinator Edy Hartanto said.

Dozens of tanker trucks queue to fill up with water every day. A 5,000-liter tanker pays Rp 20,000 (approximately US$2), while those using 40-liter jerry cans are charged Rp 200 each.

Edy says local youth working as water distributors can earn up to Rp 400,000 per day, some of which they hand over to the village, while the rest is shared between them.

Water seller Nyono says he pays Rp 10,000 every time he fills 35 jerry cans, and resells each container at Rp 1,000.

Apart from the source in Purwosari, hundreds of tankers also get their supplies from the Water Users Organization in Wonosari, Gunungkidul. Each 5,000-liter tanker is charged Rp 12,000 there.

They resell each tank at between Rp 70,000 and Rp 120,000 depending on the distance covered.

Tugimin, a resident in Gesing, Girikerto, Gunungkidul, said he and other residents had to pay at least Rp 100,000 for each tank of water and up to Rp 150,000 during droughts, due to the distance from the water source.

At the height of the dry season in August, conditions become worse when almost all local sources dry up. Many people have to sell prized belongings, such as cattle and timber, to buy water.

Gunungkidul regency administration distributes water to residents regularly, but their limited fleet of tankers is not enough to meet demand.

In 2005, the regency developed groundwater procurement technology at Bribin Cave by drilling up to 100 meters into rock. This Indonesian-German joint venture, costing up to Rp 6 billion, was initially projected to produce 210 liters of water per second to supply 132,625 people, in an area prone to water shortages.

However, due to various problems including poor installation and earthquake damage, the project failed to live up to expectations.

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