Using Well Water, 4 Factories Raided in East Jakarta

BERITAJAKARTA.COM — 4/20/2011 

To minimize excessive illegal ground water usage, Jakarta Environmental Management Agency (BPLHD) raided four factories which suspected having illegal wells. They are PT. Lion Metal Work, PT. Duta Mega Matra Keramik and PT. Indonesia Acid which located in Jl. Raya Bekasi, Cakung, and PT. Wasa Mitra Engineering in Jl. Raya Cacing, Cakung, East Jakarta.

According to Ridwan Panjaitan, Head of Law Enforcement for BPLHD who is also the raid leader, the factories raided because they still not use piped water (PAM) even though its pipelines already exist in the area. From the investigation conducted, PT. Lion Metal Work was found only have one well with the capacity of 386 cubic. In the permit, the ground water should be used only as water reserve, but based on investigation result on the field it is used as the main source. "This investigation usually takes one week,” he said, Wednesday (4/20).

Other companies also have wells. PT. Duta Mega Matra Keramik has two wells with each capacity 381 cubic and 23 cubic, PT. Wasa Mitra Engineering has one well with capacity 386 cubic, and PT. Indonesia Acid has three wells with each capacity 392 cubic, 338 cubic and 260 cubic. "Ideally, they should’ve use PAM water, because continues using of ground water will cause negative impact," he said.

Cheating that usually happens on the field is a company made well but without BPLHD permission. Sometimes, the water meter PAM installed is tricked with certain objects so the meter does not run as it should be but the water still flows normally. Moreover, the meter seal is also destructed. "This control is to optimize water PAM usage and suppress ground water (ABT) abuse that is not in accordance with the regulation exists," he stated.

Based on Jakarta BPLHD 2009-2010 data, there were 122 business activity locations given a warning, 44 sealed, and 72 concreted. There were also Rp 4.9 billion civil sanctions for 12 business activity locations because they use water ground without any permission and did not pay the tax. Even, four laundry companies were sanctioned by West Jakarta District Court and fined Rp 15 million each with subsidiary four months confinement.

While in 2011, BPLHD has conducted supervision on 117 locations until March. From that amount, 28 of them sealed and 9 concreted.

Regional governments should ban shallow groundwater use

Antara News, Tue, April 12 2011

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Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Regional governments should have the gut to ban the usage of shallow groundwater use by industries in areas that have been served by the Regional Drinking Water Supply Companies (PDAMs), an official said.

(ANTARA Photo/Lucky.R)

"The regional governments must be firmed, otherwise the environment will be damaged because the overuse of shallow groundwater," Director General of the public works ministry`s Construction Company Budi Yuwono said here Tuesday.

The uncontrolled use of shallow groundwater in Jakarta has caused the ground level to go lower and seawater intrusion, he said.

The ground`s aquifer ability, especially at a depth of less than 30 meters needed hundreds of years to recover, he said.

The overuse of shallow groundwater by industries is dangerous because it could cause floods, he said.

Editor: Priyambodo RH

Six rivers in Gorontalo polluted

Antara News, Sun, March 6 2011

Gorontalo (ANTARA News) - Six big rivers in Gorontalo province had been polluted and dangerous for water consumption due to contamination of toxic susbtances from illegal mining activities around the location,an official said.

The contamination was reported last year by Gorontalo province`s Board of Environment, Research and Technology, Chief of local Environmental Management Affairs Rugaya Biki said here Sunday.

Rugaya said the six polluted rivers were Bone (Bone Bolango district), Biyonga (Gorontalo district), Paguyaman (between Gorontalo and Boalemo district), Buladu (North Gorontalo district), Taluduyunu and Adagila Atingola (Pohuwatu district).

"The upstream, central and downstream parts of the rivers are polluted by mercury from illegal mining activities. Apart from that, we also find `Fecal Coli` bacteria contained in the water," Rugaya said adding that the bacteria emerged as a result of people`s careless habit of throwing garbage into the river.

In respond to this finding, Rugaya suggested people not consume the water of the six polluted rivers anymore. "The water is dangerous for human consumption even if it is cooked first. I also strongly suggest that people not use the water for bathing because it may cause light allergy," she said.

However, Rugaya guaranteed the quality of water processed by the government`s water processing company (PDAM). "Though the water processed comes from the six polluted rivers, certain treatment by the PDAM system makes the water save for consumption," she said.

Editor: Priyambodo RH

Jakarta, Amsterdam share best practices

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 12/20/2010

Clean water is becoming a serious problem in Indonesia due to prolonged difficulties faced by many local water companies, such as a shortage of raw water sources, high level of water leakage, mismanagement and unprofitable water rates that are far lower than production costs.

Ikhwan of the Indonesia Association of Water Supply Companies (PERPAMSI) said Wednesday that many people were unable to get enough clean water due to poor water delivery services, including high water leakage.

“A large percentage of water is lost in the delivery system. Technical solutions are needed to help local water companies deal with the problems, including how to prevent contamination in water pipelines and to deliver adequate water to remote areas as part of efforts to contain water-borne diseases,” he told The Jakarta Post on the sidelines of a two-day national workshop of LOGO South Indonesia titled “Scaling Up Successes for Improved Water Services Delivery in Indonesia”, which ended Wednesday.

The workshop was held by the Indonesian-Netherlands Association (INA) in cooperation with LOGO South Indonesia Programme of VNG International, an organization of Dutch municipalities.

Ikhwan said many local water utilities could not run their businesses well as they were hampered by a lack of raw water sources. “We might resolve it by carrying out a kind of water regionalization to help solve the water supply industry’s problems. However, this would require sustained attention to policy, especially from the government. So, it won’t be easy,” he said.

Unprofitable water rates are another problem faced by many local water companies, which leads to poor performance. This has created inefficiency within local water utilities, resulting in failure to meet their obligations.

During the two-day meeting, LOGO South Indonesia and its counterparts, including several local water utilities, shared good practices achieved within its five-year program from 2005 to 2010. It also discussed a whole range of other issues, including how to set profitable water rates, reduce water losses, prevent contamination in water pipelines and deliver water to remote areas to contain water-borne diseases spread through poor water quality and sanitation.

Koos Dekkers of the World Waternet Foundation, representing Twinning Partners LOGO South Indonesia from the Netherlands, said there was a connection between drinking water and health.

He said about 90 percent of the households in Meranti regency in Riau Islands had no running water. ”They use rainwater for their daily consumption. The water, however, is placed in an open reservoir outside their houses, directly under the sun. As a result, the water temperature rises from 28 degrees to 38 degrees, making both bacteria and virus grow four times quicker,” he told the Post.

By simply building a roof over the water reservoir, people could keep their water clean.

“We only need a simple solution, instead of a sophisticated technique, to keep the water reservoir cooler so that bacteria will grow much less. However, people might not know about this,” Dekkers said, adding that about 600 people suffered from diarrhea every month due to poor water quality and sanitation.

Indonesian-Netherlands Association (INA) director Elmar Bouma said LOGO South Indonesia had supported the strengthening of local governments’ capacity to improve their water delivery services, such as in North Sumatra and three cities in West Java: Bogor, Banten and Sukabumi. (ebf)

Jakarta will (not) submerge?

The Jakarta Post, Firdaus Ali, Jakarta | Sat, 10/09/2010 10:17 AM | Opinion

What are the real ongoing and continuing environmental problems facing Jakarta? The academic answer is the carrying capacity that is no longer able to support the continuing increase of population.

This is because the city with an area of 662 square kilometers is poorly planned and managed so it is not able to accommodate its fast growing population demand for services. Hence, the city contributes pressure to the environment beyond its limited carrying capacity.

One of its essential resources for the city carrying capacity is water resources. What are the problems related with the water resources? First, we view it from water resources stressful aspect that is the increasing capacity of runoff, especially the effect of climate change, which creates climate anomaly and the degradation of water storage capacity, and infiltration of the soil, which extends from the upstream area to the Jakarta area itself.

The real impact of all these phenomenon is the flooding and stagnant water that occurs almost every rainfall (in the upstream area as well as within the city itself). Stagnant water and flooding are the real paralyzing cause for the city’s chaotic and extreme traffic congestion. This situation is exacerbated by the condition of a dilapidated drainage infrastructure system (it was designed some 30-40 years ago).

More ironically, almost all of the drainage canals are no longer properly functioning because they are mostly covered by buildings and piles of sediment and solid waste.

The second issue is the limited resources to meet the city’s water demand, especially clean piped water to meet the city water needs. This creeping problem has been linked to the serious urban ecological issue that is currently receiving public attention, particularly after the collapse of Jl. RE Martadinata in North Jakarta. What are the causal relations of land subsidence and the limited supply of clean piped water?

A very limited piped water service coverage ratio, which is only able to supply about 44 percent of the total Jakarta water demand, along with a very high water tariff (presently averaging Rp 7,400 per cubic meter), excessive groundwater abstraction occurs especially by commercial entities (hotels, apartments, malls, office buildings and industries).

The massive groundwater exploitation exceeding its natural recharge capacity has continually caused the lowering of a deep groundwater table and eventually causing land subsidence in many locations in the city.

On the other hand, the city also has to face the rising sea water level due to global warming. These two phenomena will threaten the city’s livable future, because some part of the urban area will likely submerge permanently if there is no technology, policy as well as social engineering intervention provided to mitigate the causes.

What are the available solutions for this very basic and essential urban problem? First is the need to rehabilitate and improve the whole city’s drainage networks system starting from the micro, collector and macro drainage systems.

Second, is the need to control the runoff by maximizing the water infiltration and retention (storage capacity) on land surface through the construction of ponds, lakes, dams, as well as underground water storage (reservoir), which in turn could also be used as additional raw water sources for the Jakarta-owned water supply company (PAM Jaya).

Third, it is to restrict immediately the deep groundwater exploitation by adequately supplying clean piped water, and of course with affordable water tariffs. Adequately provided clean piped water can only be done by increasing the supply of raw water for processing.

In the condition that none of the rivers can be utilized due to pollution, increase the supply of clean piped water can only be carried out by first, reducing the water leakages, and second, by building a potable water supply provision system at Jatiluhur area, which originally was studied and proposed by the Jakarta Water Supply Regulatory Body.

Fourth, while awaiting completion of the Jatiluhur water supply system project, the business communities should be encouraged and obliged to carry out their domestic wastewater reclaimation measure in order to convert it into clean non-potable water. This measure would reduce the reliance on groundwater utilization as well as clean piped water for their water demand, whereas at the same time also reduce the amount of wastewater discharge into the water bodies.

Fifth, for a long-term perspective, we must revitalize all existing open water bodies such as rivers, streams, ponds and dams in order to make them suitable raw water sources for PAM Jaya and at the same time also provides city ammenities just as in other developed cities in the world provides its quality of life (as also mentioned in the Bible and the Koran that potrays heaven with streams and rives flowing).

All of these, of course, would need considerable investment, but the risks are much more costly when they become disasters, and at that time we would have little opportunity to make the necessary restorations.

The writer, a lecturer and researcher at the Environmental Engineering Department, the University of Indonesia, is founder of the Indonesian Water Institute and a member of Jakarta’s Water Resources Council.

Related Article:

Expect More Floods as Global Water Cycle Speeds Up

Three reservoirs to anticipate water crisis

Antara News, Sunday, October 3, 2010 18:43 WIB

Bekasi, West Java (ANTARA News) - The Bekasi Tirta Bhagasasi Tap Water Company (PDAM) had built three water reservoirs to anticipate water supply crisis in the region.

"We have constructed three new reservoirs one of which in Pondok Ungu to maximize clean water distribution in the northern region," a public relations staff of the Bekasi PDAM Wawan said here Sunday.

The other two reservoirs had been built in South Cikarang and North Cikarang sub-districts, he said.

The reservoirs having capacity of 2,000 cubic meters and equipped with clean water distribution pipelines and pumps, are to supply clean water to residents in the northern region, he said.

The water reservoir in North Cikarang, however, had a 500 cubic meters capacity to supply clean water to North Cikarang and West Cikarang Sub-districts, he said, adding that the reservoir served the Sukatani Office where water was often polluted.

The water distribution pipelines in North Cikarang had a total length of 3 kilometers and a diameter of 600 millimeters, he said.

The Tap Water Company was also building a reservoir in Tegal Gede village, South Cikarang, he said, adding that will be able to hold 100 cubic meters of water, and fund for building it had been allocated from the Regional Budget.

Public relations chief of Tap Water Company Endang said the company had around 2,000 cubic meters of clean water of reservoirs to supply 147,000 customers in Bekasi.

"We could only supply 30 percent of the need of Bekasi Municipal residents and 20 percent of the needs of Bekasi District residents, he said, adding that Tirta Bhagasasi Tap Water Company was the second best of its kind in West Java after Bandung," he said.

Micro hydro technology overcomes water crisis

Slamet Susanto, The Jakarta Post, Gunung Kidul | Fri, 04/23/2010 9:21 AM

Close inspection: Two men inspect the pipes belonging to the Bribin II project located 104 meters underground in Bantul, Yogyakarta. JP/Slamet Susanto

Tens of thousands of Gunungkidul people’s dreams of freedom from dry-season water shortages are coming true, as the Bribin II project is now capable of lifting water from an underground river to the ground surface by means of micro hydro technology.

Eighty liters of water per second can now be brought up to the surface from an underground source, which is expected to meet the clean water demand of more than 75,000 people in part of this regency.

For decades, the clean water crisis — particularly in the dry season — has affected 120,000 residents of Gunungkidul, Yogyakarta. Locals have had to buy water or seek water springs some kilometers away, often walking for hours.

For a tank of 5,000 liters of water, they had to pay up to Rp 125,000 (US$13.87) to Rp 250,000. Every dry season, each family spent Rp 700,000 to Rp 2 million on average on water.

“We’ve sold everything we have to purchase water and survive,” said Lasinem, 65, a resident of Semanu, Gunungkidul. With the Bribin II project, Lasinem hoped piping installations would soon be built to distribute water at an affordable price for residents.

“The water doesn’t reach our homes yet, but has reached our village during tests,” added Lasinem, whose house is located 2 kilometers from the project. The government of Indonesia funded Rp 35 billion of the project while Germany contributed ¤3.2 million.

The parties engaged in the project included Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany, Gadjah Mada University (UGM), Yogyakarta, the Indonesian Islamic University (UII), Yogyakarta, Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), and Sebelas Maret State University (UNS), Surakarta.

To raise water from the underground river, holes were drilled 104 meters deep with a diameter of 2.50 meters. Thereafter, an underground dam was built, as well as pipes for the flow of water to the ground level.

“Water management in Bribin is the first of the kind in the world, though in the beginning it frustrated us,” said Karlsruhe Institute of Technology’s professor, Franz Nestmann, who worked on the project.

Nestmann presented his plan for the area of Gunungkidul to Yogyakarta’s Sultan Hamengkubuwono X in 1998.

Drilling started in 2004, now and again causing frustration as the drills used were damaged on several occasions by rocks.

“It was frustrating but we kept trying. We are no longer under stress and Gunungkidul residents are now happy,” said Nestmann at the inauguration of Bribin II in early March 2010.

The Bribin II project was also delayed for over two years due to the May 2006 earthquake. The disaster that killed about 5,700 people and destroyed over 200,000 houses made some of the pit walls cave in and cover the cavity. Using dynamites, the wall ruins were finally removed and cleared.

In early 2010, after different tests, the Bribin II project was declared successful in March and its management was transferred to the Center of Serayu-Opak River zone.

Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto hoped Bribin II would function not only as a water supply but also a natural laboratory where experts could conduct research. “Results of their research are expected to bring about bright ideas to promote the welfare of people living in karst [irregular limestone region with sinkholes, underground streams, and caverns] regions, so far associated with dryness and poverty,” said Djoko Kirmanto.

The project aims to overcome water shortage problems faced by people living in karst regions. He said Indonesia at present had 15.4 million hectares of karst zones inhabited by millions experiencing the same difficulties accessing drinking water.

In terms of operational cost, micro hydro technology is far more economical because it uses no fuel. The water produced is expected to be distributed at a reasonable price without adding any financial burdens local people.

In 1984, Bribin I actually managed to raise water to the surface, but the process was expensive because the diesel oil generators used consumed 200 liters per hour.

Bambang Hargono, the head of the Serayu-Opak River Zone Center, stated his center would only be responsible for the management of equipment and the lifting of water to the ground level. “Water distribution to village homes and its operational cost are handled by the Regional Drinking Water Company [PDAM],” he said.

Water carrier

The Jakarta Post, Antara, Tue, 04/06/2010 1:55 PM

A woman paddles a small boat filled with buckets from the small island of Kampung Tobati in Jayapura, Papua on her way to look for clean water on the mainland Tuesday. The local residents have been having difficulty accessing clean water after a distribution pipe to the island belonging to the local state water company broke last year and has yet to be repaired. Antara/Anang Budiono

Poor People get a Discount on Clean Water Service

Tempo Interactive, Tuesday, 16 March, 2010 | 16:36 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Surabaya:Managing Director of the Surabaya Tap Water Provider (PDAM) Mohammad Selim has said that destitute people, or what is known as low income communities (MBR) have a discount of 50 percent to install PDAM clean water.

“The dispensation given is for the installation of new pipes at home,” said Selim, on Monday (15/1)

He said that the program was to increase public welfare.

Poor people’s health, he said, must be preserved by getting clean water distribution.

Surabaya PDAM Public Relations Officer, Sunarno, said that the service was in effect only from March to August.

“So they have to register immediately,” he said.

The fee for new clean water installation for MBRs is only between Rp450,000 and Rp500,000.

Without a discount, they normally pay Rp1 million.

The criteria for people getting the discount, say Sunarno, is residents living in homes of less than 60 m2 in size, with a street width of less than six meters and the owners must have proof of ownership.

Another requirement, said Sunarno, is they have to be able to pay the bill every month.

The total production of Surabaya PDAM is 8,500 liters per second.

The PDAM clean water has been distributed to 72 percent of Surabaya residents.

DINI MAWUNTYAS

Most tap-water companies in `bad shape'

Fadli, The Jakarta Post, Batam | Sat, 12/05/2009 1:40 PM

The majority of tap-water companies (PDAM) across Indonesia are managed poorly due to political moves made by regional administrations, says an executive.

Saiful, new chairman of the Indonesian Tap-Water Companies' association (Perpamsi), said that of 355 PDAMs across the country, only 25 percent were in a good condition both in term of finance and management, while the remaining 75 percent were in bad shape.

"The quality of human resources, financial deficit, high level of pipeline leakages and political attitudes from regional administration heads have been blamed for the *PDMs'* conditions," said Saiful, who had just been elected as chairman of Perpamsi for the 2009-2013 term, on Thursday, during the organization's meeting in Batam, Riau Islands province.

Among the political maneuvers blamed for the conditions, according to Saiful, were the appointments of PDAM's employees that were based more on nepotism rather than competence.

"Rates are also something that is often *played with' by heads of regional administrations, especially during the campaign period. As a result, PDAMs cannot decide their own rates according to their calculations," said Saiful who is also president director of PDAM Tirta Musi in Palembang, South Sumatra.

Saiful said the combined debt of all PDAMs across the country, which mostly operate in provincial and regency/municipal capitals, totalled Rp 6 trillion.

"In a bid to help rectify the situation we will conduct some programs including improving the quality of our staff through training and conducting fit-and-proper tests on candidates for PDAM executive positions," he said.

Separately, Perpamsi vice chairman Sunarto Mokodompit, who is also president director of PDAM Bolaang Mongondow, said political pressure from the regency head made it difficult to restructure human resources in his company.

"The Regent often called me to accept this person or that person as an employee at my office. I can't refuse, if I do I'll probably end up losing my job," he said.

A similar scenario was expressed by Ricky Pontoh, president director of PDAM North Minahasa. He said most of the PDAMs set up in new regencies in his region were being run by staff with no experience in clean water management.

"The conditions of the PDAMs in those areas, which were previously under our management, are really concerning at the moment," he said.

Saiful also said that with regard to the present conditions, Indonesia would not meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) target of increasing access to clean water and basic sanitation facilities by 2015.

The MDG has set a target of sustainable access to clean water for 80 percent of the urban populations and 60 percent of the rural residents by 2015.

Currently, he said, it was almost certain that the target would not be achieved. Only 40 percent of the urban population and less than 30 percent of the rural population had sustainable access to clean water, he added.

Former vice president Jusuf Kalla said that between 2008 and 2013, 10 million households would be provided with clean water installations. Currently 7.1 million installations have been delivered. "It's even difficult to meet the former vice president's target," Saiful said.

Drought-Stricken Makassar Residents Digging More Wells in Search of Water

The Jakarta Globe, Dzal Gibran

Makassar. Prolonged drought due to a delayed onset of the rainy season in Indonesia has forced residents of Makassar, South Sulawesi, to dig more artesian wells as water supplied by the city has run low.

“If you’re lucky, you get water in the first drill, but in most cases we strike water on the third try,” Yohanis, a resident of Bumi Tamalanrea Permai housing complex, said over the weekend.

Yohanis said most houses in the compound have gone without running water and that many wells there have also dried up, forcing residents to drill new ones. Residents usually drill in several locations before finding water due to the poor equipment being used, he said.

He added that the drilling fee for one well was Rp 1.8 million ($190), excluding the fee to rent a vacuum.

Residents who have wells complained that the water is yellowish, forcing them to strain it before using it for cooking or laundry.

“We don’t know if that kind of water is good for consumption or not, but we have no choice but to use it,” said Basir, who lives on the same block as Yohanis.

Other residents have to line up to buy water from street vendors. A 20-liter jerry can of water sells for as much as Rp 500.

The residents said some companies have offered water at the price of Rp 80,000 for 100 liters, which most residents consider too high.

“That’s the way it is here,” said Andi, another resident at the housing complex, who has lived there since 1992.

The city tap water company, the PDAM Makassar, said it has sold water to local residents using trucks, but residents said they never received the water.

“Every day a PDAM truck passes by here, but the driver tells us that someone else has ordered the water,” Basir said.

Suwarjo, a spokesman for the South Sulawesi Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency, said temperatures in Makassar had reached 38 degrees celsius, making the city one of the hottest areas in the country.

At this time last year, the temperature was between 30 degrees and 35 degrees.

The heat has been caused by absorption of the sun’s direct irradiation on the earth’s surface, he said.

The weather agency predicted temperatures would remain high for another week or two.

“The extreme high temperatures should not have happened. But due to El Nino the rainy season will start very late,” Suwarjo said.

He said the weather agency predicted the rainy season would start at the end of November and peak in early January to February. The rainy season is predicted to have no impact on the sea waves, so that marine activities should be able to continue as usual.

“The agency predicts that in the rainy season the waves will remain relatively safe. But people should be careful when there is heavy rain combined with strong winds,” he said.

Padang PDAM suffers Rp 45 b loss due to earthquake

The Jakarta Post | Sun, 11/08/2009 3:28 PM

The tap water utility in Padang, the West Sumatra, PDAM Padang, has suffered Rp 45 billion (US$ 4.6 million) in losses after the powerful earthquake that shook the city and other areas of West Sumatra in September.

The firm's technical director Reru L. Tanjung said on Sunday that his office had been required to give services for customers in temporary shelters since the quake.

The quake destroyed the company headquarters in Padang.

“The damage of our office costs us around Rp 5 billion. We will start constructing a new building in a safer location,” he said as quoted by kompas.com.

He added that the quake had also caused damage to water pipes and installations.

“To [help] meet customers' needs, we installed 103 public hydrants [already]. [However] we only met 50 percent of residents' needs so far,” he said. (ewd)

Tangerang water supply disrupted

The Jakarta Post

TANGERANG: Water supply to some 86,000 customers in Tangerang municipality and regency was disrupted Friday because of problems at Pintu Sepuluh dam.

Three of 10 sluice gates at the dam on the Cisadane River dam broke down as a result of years of accumulated rust.

Suhanda, a spokesman for Tangerang regency's water company, PDAM Tirta Kerta Raharja, said the damage reduced by more than 75 percent the company's daily water supply.

Most of affected customers were located in Cikokol subdistrict and areas near Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

"The water level fell so low it could not enter our production installation," Suhanda said.

He asked the Water Resources Management Board, as the supervisor of the Cisadane River, to complete repair work on the dam as quickly as possible.

Indra Setiawan, the spokesman for Tangerang city's water company, PDAM Tirta Benteng, said the company was unable to ensure supplies as long as the sluice gates remained out of order.

"We can only apologize to our customers," he said.

The two water companies have yet to calculate their financial losses as a result of the disruption.--JP