The water crisis is now in the past for residents in Selopuro village in Wonogiri regency, Central Java.
From 2000, the residents have successfully managed water independently, a venture allowing
them to meet their basic needs at an affordable level and improve their welfare.
Previously, the village, located in a hilly area, was subject to chronic water shortages as it lost its watershed areas to deforestation.
“Since I was young, I had to walk to fetch water from a spring located more than 3 kilometers from the village,” said Misman, the village’s independent water management distribution supervisor.
“All residents spent a third of their day fetching water.”
The water management concept being put in place, he said, was based on the fact that the water source was overflowing, situated in a hilly area far from human settlement.
In 1998, villagers worked together to clear rocks around the springs. The residents even conducted “comparative studies” at different water facilities.
“We no longer want to experience a water crisis and have decided to manage water independently,” said Misman, a father of three.
In 2000, they bought a diesel pump to draw water and started distributing water to homes after receiving an assistance fund from Wonogiri regency worth Rp 40 million (US$4,400).
“The customer fee was regarded as high then because most funds were used to buy diesel fuel. A resident had to pay Rp 6,000 for a cubic meter of water, all of which was used for operational costs,” said water management head Gimanto.
At that time, water management often had to pitch in its own money as the customer fees were spent on fuel.
“The diesel pump often stalled as it became older. If it was broken, management and residents had to provide money for repairs.”
In 2008, the old pump was replaced with an electricity pump.
Water from the spring was then drawn to a higher reservoir and later channeled to residents’ homes down below.
“Now, the water fee has been reduced to Rp 2,000 per cubic meter. After deductions for operational costs and wages, we can still have a monthly balance of Rp 800,000,” said Gimanto.
People also have become more aware of reforestation, with hundreds of hectares of forests in Selopuro now flourishing.
New water sources have also emerged and Selopuro is now home to 18 new springs.
In the village, home to 400 families, only 110 families benefit from the independent water management.
“The other residents are living near the new springs and they no longer face a water crisis,” he said.
Water flows all the time now, and residents no longer have to spend a proportion of the day fetching water. They can now engage in productive activities, such as growing vegetables and raising livestock.
“Villagers are more productive now and their welfare has improved. Selopuro, formerly known as an underprivileged village and prone to water crises, is now much more prosperous,” said Siman, a village elder.
Previously, he said only a few residents could send their children up to junior high school, but now many youths attend university.
“The walls of residents’ homes are now made of bricks, not plaited bamboo walls. The improvement is there to be seen,” he said.
