T

housands of households across Jakarta were seriously inconvenienced by the recent breakdown in the supply of tap water following the collapse of a dike at the Buaran Dam in East Jakarta last week, at a time when Jakartans were celebrating the long-awaited religious holiday of Idul Fitri.

The problem facing the city, however, is more serious than just an accidental water cut. This is particularly so because the two water operators that serve the city, PT PAM Lyonaise Jaya (Palyja) which oversees the west of the city and PT Aetra which provides tap water to residents in the eastern part, rely almost totally on the same source of raw water.

With the exception of a small amount of raw water for Palyja coming from the Cisadane River in Tangerang, nearly all of the raw water for the two companies comes from the Jatiluhur dam in the West Java town of Purwakarta. Meanwhile this dam is now facing its own problems; worsening water pollution from industrial and domestic waste and a shortage of supply during the dry season.

The dependence on water supply from the Jatiluhur dam has made consumers vulnerable to any problem that disrupts the operation of the reservoir, such as the seasonal drought which is currently putting at risk of harvest failure thousands of hectares of rice in West Java. Jakarta can no longer rely solely on the Jatiluhur dam and has to find alternative water resources to avoid the water crisis from recurring.

It is actually ironic that Jakarta has to experience routine water problems, considering the fact that there are at least 13 rivers dissecting the city. History books tell us that apart from serving as sources of clean water, these rivers were once a means of transportation. Regrettably the rivers have turned into a curse, if not a source of natural disasters, for the city after years of environmental degradation. The rivers overflow when heavy rain falls, destroying not only residential areas but also infrastructure.

Jakarta should certainly restore the function of the rivers as a source of clean water for its citizens. It will require a huge investment to realize this, quite apart from the political will of Jakarta leaders and the central government.

It is commendable that the city, in its newly-approved 2010-2030 spatial-planning bylaw, plans improvement of the 13 rivers and other canals in the city. The bylaw requires the city to dredge the rivers and enhance the capacity of the west and east flood canals.

These projects should not be restricted to the aim of mitigating annual flooding. The Jakarta authorities need to explore the potential of the rivers as sources of clean water, otherwise the city will never liberate itself from repeated water crises.

With the Jakarta population growing, the demand for water will surge and it is the responsibility of the city administration to provide all citizens with equal access to clean water.

Following the recent supply cut it is very likely that the worst water crisis is yet to come and Jakarta seems unprepared for it.