Water for Jakarta to be Sourced from 13 Rivers

KOMPAS/RYAN RINALDY

A woman washes laundry in the Malang River on Dec. 26, 2018, in East Teluk Jambe district, Karawang regency, West Java. Many riverbank residents wash clothes and defecate in the river, which is one of the causes of water pollution in the Malang River – a source of raw water for Jakarta residents.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The water quality in the Tarum Barat canal, also known as the Kali Malang canal, needs to be improved to ensure the availability of clean water for Jakarta residents. One of the ways to do this is to protect the waterway from pollution. In addition, a sewage treatment facility in the capital could improve the quality of 13 rivers in Jakarta and thereby increase the options for water supply to the city.

The head of the Jakarta Environment Agency’s Environmental Impact Management Division, Andono Warih, said the Jakarta administration had issued a regulation involving the community in the management of domestic waste to check river pollution. Thus, the river water could be used for water supply. “We plan to build a wastewater [treatment plant] in each zone. One of them would be the Setiabudi Reservoir to store waste,” he said.

According to Jakarta Water Resources Agency head Teguh Hendarwan, a pilot project for the construction of a communal wastewater treatment plant was carried out on the Sentiong River. “In the future we will build similar facilities at 13 rivers, including in densely populated areas,” he said.

In 2019, according to the plan, 10 communal wastewater treatment facilities will be constructed along the Sentiong River, specifically in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta and in the Tanjung Priok subdistrict of North Jakarta. The project is still in the auction stage.

“It will be carried out directly by PD PAL Jaya [wastewater treatment company]. PAL Jaya will be the operator. So, there will be 10 locations along the Sentiong River for the construction of wastewater treatment plants,” Teguh said. The facilities, he said, meant that even when waste entered the river, there would be no such thing as excess foam entering

KOMPAS/AGUS SUSANTO

The West Tarum Canal, part of the Malang River, is seen flanked by the Becakayu toll road and residential areas in Duren Sawit, East Jakarta, on Saturday, Feb. 2. Water from the river that flows from the Jatiluhur Reservoir is used to produce clean water for residents of Jakarta and surrounding areas.

Sentiong River, nor sewage waste from households. “In the near future, those who jump into the Sentiong River will find clean and clear water,” he promised.

PAM Jaya laboratory head Nita Yunita said 13 rivers of Jakarta could be turned into reliable water sources. However, the continuity of water supply from the 13 rivers was also important. “Everybody needs to be committed and aware to maintain the cleanliness [of the 13 rivers],” said Nita.

Meanwhile, the construction of a water separation canal has been found to help maintain the water quality in Kali Malang. The conduit, which separates the waterflow of Kali Malang from the polluted Bekasi River can reduce the turbidity of untreated water.

In addition to the Bekasi River, two more rivers intersect with Kali Malang, namely the Cibeet River and the Cikarang River. In the Cibeet River, a long conduit ensures that the water does not mix with Kali Malang water. Now, it is the water from the Cikarang River that remains mixed with the Kali Malang water.

Perum Jasa Tirta II research and development manager Hendra Rachtono said there was a possibility that the Cikarang River contributed to fecal coliform pollution in Kali Malang. The central government, he said, had planned to build a tunnel in the Cikarang River. “Unfortunately, there was a problem [at the location where the Kali Malang stream meets the stream from the Cikarang River] that hampers the construction of the tunnel. There are many utilities on the site and it is difficult to tidy up,” he said.

Closed tunnel

In an effort to maintain the quality of raw water through infrastructure development, the central government has built riverbank perimeter fences on several sections of Kali Malang. The aim is to bar residents from accessing Kali Malang, including for bathing, washing and latrines (MCK).

The fences can indeed keep residents away from the river and prevent MCK practices on riverbanks, such as at some points in Bekasi regency, but residents still throw trash over the fence.

Amrta Institute director Nila Ardhianie, who was a member of the Jakarta Drinking Water Management Evaluation Team, said the ultimate effort to protect raw water from domestic waste pollution was to close the canal completely.

“As far as I know, the central government and Jakarta administration are planning to turn Kali Malang into a closed tunnel. However, until now this has not been done. The plan should be realized soon, because the Jakarta area is very dependent on raw water from the Kali Malang,” said Nila.

When asked for confirmation, Public Works and Housing Ministry Water Resources Director General Hari Suprayogi said the government had tried to keep the waterflow of the Kali Malang out of the reach of residents by building a perimeter fence, but over time the fence had become damaged. The government has no plans to make Kali Malang a closed tunnel. “There are no plans to close it, so it\'s still open,” he said.

PAM Jaya managing director Priyatno Bambang Hernowo said the threat of pollution of Kali Malang could continue to grow in the future and become a serious problem. This was because Jakarta required 37,000 of liters of raw and bulk water supply per second. As the supply is now only 20,000 liters per second, an additional 17,000 liters per second are needed.

(ADY/BKY/DVD/HLN/MDN)