Jakarta needs water plant and pipeline: Governor

Prodita Sabarini ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Thu, 11/26/2009 1:30 PM  |  City

Governor Fauzi Bowo said Wednesday that Jakarta needs a new water plant at the Jatiluhur reservoir and a big pipeline connecting the dam in the West Java town to the city water operator's plants.

"The water supply is becoming scarce. We are now buying tapwater from the Tangerang Water Company. The quality of water from the Jatiluhur reservoir *in Purwakarta* is declining. Therefore we concluded that Jakarta needs to build a new water processing plant in Jatiluhur," he said.

He said that the water processing plant and the pipeline will provide tap water instead of raw water from Jatiluhur.

Half of the city's clean water supply is from Jatiluhur dam in West Java, 80 kilometers from the city. It is channeled through West Tarum Barat canal into water treatment facilities owned by the two existing water operators, PT PAM Lyonnaise Jaya (Palyja) and Aetra Air Jakarta.

Fauzi said that the cost of construction could be between Rp 1.7 trillion and Rp 3 trillion.

"We will complete the study on the construction in 2010 and hopefully start the project by 2011."

In July, the City Water Regulatory Body *BR PAM* had suggested that the city build a pipeline to avoid contamination from intersecting rivers.

Fauzi was speaking after meeting with residents from a poor neighborhood in Sumur Bor, Kalideres West Jakarta, to inspect a water-for-poor program.

Around 265 residents in Sumur Bor, Kalideres, West Jakarta have received subsidies for new tap water facilities through a World Bank Global Partnership on Output-Based Aid with water operator PAM Lyonnaise Jaya (Palyja).

World Bank Water and Sanitation Specialist Irma Magdalena Setiono said that the bank would donate US$2 million in the form of a grant to install 6,500 water connections.

As of October, 4,884 households in areas in West Jakarta - Menceng, Rawa Bengkel, Rawa Lele, Utan Jati, Sumur Bor and Warung Gantung; and North Jakarta's Muara Baru have received tap water facilities.

Under this program, low-income households whose houses are in the seven areas and have not yet been connected to Palyja's pipelines can get a water connection by paying Rp 10,000 ($1) per month for a year or a total of Rp 120,000. The usual fee for installation is Rp 600,000.

Palyja is financing the initial costs and will be reimbursed by the World Bank after independent auditors assess the success of the program. Palyja spokesperson Meyritha Maryanie said that subsidized water customers had to consume an average of 10 cubic meters of water per month for the World Bank to disburse the money.

Fauzi chatted with the residents and asked them to live a clean and healthy life. "Now that you have clean tap water, the people here should also live a healthier lifestyle. There should be no littering," Fauzi told Sumur Bor residents.

Meyritha said that the company also has around 49 water kiosks in areas where Palyja's pipes were not connected. "We're going to open 10 new kiosks in 2010."

Juju, 43, a Sumur Bor resident, said before she had tap water facilities installed in her house, she had to buy 20-liter cans of water that cost Rp 2,000 each for cooking and drinking. Poor people lacking access to clean water normally spend more to buy water from street vendors than people connected to tap water.

"I had to stay up all night to fill up the cans with water. Now it's easier as we have good running water."

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