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View all search resultsJakarta’s coastal neighborhoods struggle as clean water access dwindles
In Kapuk Muara, a densely populated neighborhood in North Jakarta’s Penjaringan district, dozens of residents have spent nearly a month relying on water sold in blue plastic barrels after pipeline leaks left their tap water unsafe for use or consumption.
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People in Kapuk Muara subdistrict in Penjaringan, North Jakarta, line up with buckets to collect clean water on July 20 from a water truck they rented through pooled funds. (Via Antara/Personal documentation)
F
or many Jakartans, access to clean and affordable water remains elusive, even for those already connected to the piped network operated by the city-owned tap water company PAM Jaya.
In Kapuk Muara, a densely populated neighborhood in North Jakarta’s Penjaringan district, dozens of residents have spent nearly a month relying on water sold in blue plastic barrels after pipeline leaks left their tap water unsafe for use or consumption.
With no resolution in sight, residents have had to collectively rent water trucks from private suppliers, paying up to Rp 20,000 (US$1.23) per household each day.
For Dewi Lestari, 37, this situation is all too familiar. Piped water in her area is often disrupted by either temporary or prolonged shutoffs.
While she owns a groundwater well, the water is murky and salty, a common issue in Jakarta’s northern coastal zones, forcing her to spend at least Rp 14,000 daily on two gallons of clean water.
“We only use the groundwater as a last resort,” Dewi told The Jakarta Post. “It gives us itchy skin. I’m sure it’s even more dangerous to drink.”
Read also: Fenced off from sea: North Jakartans watch coastline slip away
