T

he city administration, through PT Jakarta Utilitas Propertindo (JUP) — a subsidiary of city-owned developer PT Jakarta Propertindo (Jakpro), will build a water treatment plant in Pluit city forest, North Jakarta, to boost clean water supply in the capital.

JUP president director Chairul Hakim said the company had teamed up with water-solution company PT Memiotec Indonesia, which is affiliated with Singapore’s Memiotec, in constructing, as well as operating and maintaining the water treatment plant.

The companies will spend around Rp 112 billion (US$8.16 million) for the project, of which JUP will have a 60 percent share and Memiotec Indonesia the remaining 40 percent.

“Memiotec had taken part in the bidding process, which involved eight companies, before we eventually chose it,” said Chairul after a signing ceremony between Jakpro, Memiotec Indonesia, and city-owned water operator PAM Jaya at City Hall on Wednesday.

Chairul added that JUP decided to team up with the private firm because it did not have the experience and technology to turn waste water into clean water.

JUP will treat water taken from the West Flood Canal located in Pluit city forest having received a water-use permission letter issued by PAM Jaya.

He added that the water treatment plant would produce clean water at around 500 liters per second. The company would then sell the water at Rp 2,700 per cubic meter to PAM Jaya and water operator PT PAM Lyonnaise Jaya (Palyja), which will distribute it to Jakarta residents.

Chairul added that the construction of the plant would kick off in July and be finished in December.

Separately, PAM Jaya president director Erland Hidayat said the construction of the Pluit city forest water plant would provide a greater supply of clean water for Jakarta residents, particularly those living in Pluit and Pejaringan, North Jakarta.

He added that the city needed 28,000 liters of clean water per second, with a current supply of 9,000 liters per second.

“With the new water plant, we will increase the clean water supply by 500 liters per second,” said Erland, adding that the city still had to work harder in meeting demand.

He further said that his company was committed to accelerating and increasing the distribution of clean water to the city by working with JUP, Palyja, and private water operator PT Aetra Air Jakarta (Aetra).

At the same occasion, Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama said his administration would not wait for the result of a legal challenge against water privatization, which was lodged some years ago.

If the administration waited for the result, he said, it would only waste time, which could be used to provide facilities for the public.

“Why should we wait? I think we previously have made mistakes by waiting for the decision. We should not have bought time,” he said.

He further explained that in a bid to boost the water supply, the administration had instructed PAM Jaya to build new water plants and build a new pipe network, instead of fixing old ones, which are 40 percent damaged.

“Fixing damaged pipes will cost more. We prefer to build new ones,” Ahok added.

Earlier, PAM Jaya reported a plan to build a water treatment plant in Duren Sawit, East Jakarta, to increase the clean water supply in the capital.

The company currently distributes water to around 6 million residents in the capital, or roughly 60 percent of the city’s population.