Jakarta Water Shortages a ‘Warning’ of Worse to Come

Jakarta Globe. Arientha Primanita, May 10, 2010

The recent water shortages that hit much of Jakarta should serve as a wake-up call for the authorities to start considering sustainable alternatives, experts said on Sunday.

For much of last week, water supplies to much of the capital were slashed by up to 40 percent because of severe silting in the Jatiluhur Dam.

Firdaus Ali, a member of the city water operator regulatory body, said such shortages had occurred annually for the past 15 years, as the availability of clean water for all of Java was being overwhelmed by demand.

The island accounts for just 7 percent of the country’s land mass and 6.45 percent of its fresh water, but 65 percent of its population, or about 15 million people.

“The imbalance has resulted in the massive exploitation of groundwater, which in turn has led to land subsidence,” Firdaus said.

Jakarta alone requires at least 1 billion cubic meters of water a year for domestic and industrial use, he said.

Jatiluhur supplies 82 percent of the city’s water, while the rest comes from the Cisadane and Krukut rivers in Tangerang.

Thirteen rivers crisscross the capital, but all are heavily polluted and their water is not suitable for consumption.

Up to 78 percent of the city’s waterways are heavily polluted, according to 2006 data from the Jakarta Environmental Management Body.

“Only the Krukut River is still relatively clean, but it only provides 2.2 percent of fresh water needs,” Firdaus said.

“That’s nowhere near enough to meet the city’s needs.”

He said the only viable long-term solution would be to clean up the 13 rivers that run through the capital, which would take a major commitment from both the city administration and the central government.

“Once the rivers are healthy again, we can use them as a source of fresh water,” he said, adding that a dedicated waste-collection center was needed to keep trash out of rivers.

The middle-term plan, Firdaus said, is to siphon off 4,000 liters of water a second from Jatiluhur exclusively for drinking water for the capital.

“The least we can do is to save water and pray that Jakarta doesn’t sink beneath its own weight,” he said.

Land subsidence due to massive groundwater extraction reaches up to 20 centimeters a year in some areas, he said.

If this trend continued, by 2050 the city’s coastline would be in the Semanggi area in Central Jakarta.

“We have the regulations in place to limit groundwater extraction, but the enforcement needs to be strengthened to ensure consumers comply,” Firdaus said, referring to a 2009 gubernatorial decree on the ground water-removal rate.

Hamong Santono, executive director of the People’s Coalition for Water Rights (Kruha), said the water crisis highlighted the need for better water management and alternatives.

He singled out the exclusive dependency on supplies from Jatiluhur and Tangerang as being of significant concern.

“Being reliant on just two sources of water is very dangerous,” he said. “It’s high time that Jakarta began looking at other sources.”

In the meantime, Hamong said, the city’s water operators should make the most of their supplies by reducing losses.

City councilor Selamat Nurdin also called for alternative water sources, saying a breakthrough was needed.

“We can look into reverse-osmosis technology or desalination plants,” he said.

The councilor conceded that the initial capital investment for such schemes would be high, but said they would pay off in the long run and ensure a long-term supply for the capital.

Another councilor, Muhammad Sanusi, urged more stringent enforcement of water regulations by the city administration.

“The water operators must minimize their losses,” he told the Jakarta Globe.

“If they can manage this properly, I’m sure they’ll be able to meet the city’s water demands.”

Sanusi also suggested that the newly built East Flood Canal be considered a potential source of fresh water.

The canal is designed to channel excess rainwater and runoff out to sea.