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Jakarta plans to ban some groundwater extraction. Not so fast, experts say
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Salty supply: A child operates a hand water pump in Kali Besar, West Jakarta, on Oct. 29, 2019. The water was not potable, however, because it had been contaminated by seawater. (JP/P.J.Leo)
T
he Jakarta administration is considering a plan to restrict groundwater use to prevent the capital city from sinking further, but experts say the administration needs to provide equitable water access to the population before enacting such a policy.
The plan has highlighted a major challenge that policymakers face in a city where households and business have been extracting groundwater independently of the municipal water system for years, causing land to subside as the city struggles to expand its tap water services.
Jakarta Water Resources Agency head Yusmada Faisal said the provincial administration was preparing a regulation to restrict groundwater extraction in parts of the city that were already covered by tap water services.
“We are formulating [a regulation] to prohibit groundwater extraction for areas that are already covered by tap water service,” Yusmada said on Oct. 5, as quoted by Antaranews.com.
The plan was announced after Public Works and Housing Ministry director general for human settlements Diana Kusumastuti urged Jakartans on Oct. 4 to stop extracting groundwater in a bid to halt land subsidence in the city.
The ministry is currently constructing regional drinking water supply system (SPAM) Jatiluhur 1 in West Java and Karian Serpong in Banten to bring more tap water to the city. They are set to begin operation in 2024, Diana added, as reported by Antaranews.com.
As of October 2020, 65 percent of city residents were covered by Jakarta-owned tap water company PAM Jaya. The company hopes to increase its coverage to 100 percent by 2030.
