Old Traditions for Saving Water

Jakarta Globe, Sitti Aminah, Nov 27, 2014

A villager collects water from a well, which was dug from the bottom of a lake
 that had dried up in Gunung Kidul village, near Yogyakarta in Java. Drought
 continually plagues the area and the villagers who reside there. (Reuters
Photo/Dwi Oblo)

Jakarta. Indonesia is home to some of the world’s largest water deposits. According to the Water Environment Partnership in Asia, WEPA, almost 6 percent of the world’s water resources  can be found in Indonesia. Additionally, Indonesia controls 21 percent of water resources in the Asia-Pacific region.

Geographically, it can be said that Indonesia is blessed with an abundance of water in storage.

Mountainous areas covered in rain forests form natural water catchments. Mangrove forests in coastal areas, meanwhile, protect inland water storage from saltwater intrusion.

Indonesia undoubtedly plays an important role in global water security and environmental conservation. This, however, does not mean Indonesia is immune from water-related problems.

Water is one of several basic necessities, a valuable asset that has the potential to trigger problems should it be manipulated or managed unwisely. Speaking of manipulating water resources, the government and the private-sector play an increasing role in this sector.

The 1945 Constitution mandates the government as the sole manager of water resources throughout the archipelago. It is given the mandate so that it can fulfill the people’s basic necessities.

Overwhelmed by the task, the government has delegated part of its water authority to the private sector. They require the private sector to ensure that Indonesia’s need for water is balanced with accessible supplies.

Excessive use

Despite efforts to maintain supply, most urban populations in Indonesia use water excessively.  It may be because to them, water is something easily available, not something that they struggle to attain.

Lower- to middle-income people in Indonesia use 169.11 liters per day, per person on average. The figure is higher for those in the middle-to-upper class group who use 247.36 liters. Almost every domestic activity requires water, from washing clothes and cleaning the dishes to cooking, drinking and watering gardens.

According the Indonesia Water Institute, since 2000, various regions in Indonesia have been forced to deal with water scarcity. Such shortages are blamed by environmental degradation. Additionally, water becomes scarce due to unwise management.

The Baduy people

An examination of the traditional practices of some indigenous groups, including the Baduy people in Banten is insightful. Their actions are in line with sustainable development principles, consisting of three pillars: environment, economy and community. Under those principles, they are able to manage the environment wisely.

The practice, supervised by their elderly, bars Baduy Dalam (Inner Baduy) people, who live deep in the forest, from cutting down trees. Cutting trees is only allowed should the tree be of a sufficient age. If they cut down one tree, in exchange, they must plant two trees. We can see here an effort to balance the ecosystem, and maintain an abundance of trees.

The indigenous Baduy people demonstrate to us how to manage our relations with the environment. By preserving the forest, they maintain the availability of water in the soil.

In terms of their other two pillars, economy and community, an examination of Baduy Luar (outer Baduy) people’s practices is useful.  They are allowed to sell their crops to meet daily necessities, but only if they maintain the sustainability of their plantations and don’t harvest excessively — which can damage their forests. The Baduy sees nature as an integral part of their life that must to be respected. It is a remarkable value, one which has allowed them to avoid environmental-related problems, including water scarcity.

If we apply such values to our modern society, everyone will benefit. Indonesians need to wake from their long sleep and consider such core environmental principles. Unique traditional values that respect nature are part of our country’s identity. Even though they often originate from different cultural practices, they have one thing in common: a unique, traditional solution for environmental issues.

Every region in Indonesia is moving towards preserving the environment as one solution for water scarcity. I’m optimistic that this will work. I’m also aware, though, that it is going to be a life-long project to make people understand environmental principles.

Once they understand the actions they can take to alleviate water scarcity, their behavior will change. Let’s appreciate what we have, and let’s move forward with it.

Sitti “Ina” Aminah is a knowledge management officer at the Indonesian Biodiversity Foundation (Yayasan Kehati)

Jakarta Predicted to be Underwater By 2012

Monday, 02 March, 2009 | 16:23 WIB 

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Firdaus Ali, a technical environment researcher from the University of Indonesia, predicts that Jakarta will be underwater before the year 2012. He cited as the cause the excessive suction of ground water in the Jakarta area, resulting in the continuing subsidence of the land surface. “Not only will the city go underwater, we will also suffer from dehydration prior to that,” said the doctorate from the University of Wisconsin contacted by Tempo yesterday. 

Firdaus’ calculation was based on the data of land subsidence in the capital city, which ranges around 10 centimeters a year in average. In West Jakarta, during the past 11 years, the land surface subsided by 1,2 meters. In Kemayoran and Thamrin in Central Jakarta, it has lost ground by 80 centimeters for the last 8 years. “If this continues, Jakarta’s land surface will be below sea level,” Firdaus said. 

City Environment Committee chief, Darrundono, shared a similar opinion, pointing out that extreme exploitation of ground water has caused a drastic land subsidence. He said ground water supply is not increasing, yet its consumption keeps going higher. “A ground water crisis in Jakarta has come to a dangerous stage,” he cautioned. 

The Jakarta administration plans to increase fees for ground water usage by luxury homes and industries to 6 – 16 times higher. This is aimed at reducing consumption which has become more exploitative. 

Increasing fees, Firdaus said, is one of the instruments to reduce its usage. Users would be persuaded to use potable water from the services of the state-run Water Supply Company (PAM). “Ground water tariffs should be higher than that of PAM,” he said. 

Every year, 320 million water cubic meters are sucked up from the ground, according to Firdaus. Yet, the reasonable amount should be only 38 million cubic meters. Meanwhile, the official data cites only 21 million cubic meters allowed to be consumed. “The remaining must be taken illegally,” he said. 

According to Firdaus, extreme ground water exploitation creates a hollow in the earth. The resulting pressure causes the land subsidence. There are already many hollow areas around. “Even local rainfall can flood many areas,” he said. 

Darrundono said the subsidence will cause Jakarta to slowly go below sea level. Sea water intrusion has currently reached 11 – 12 kilometers from the coast. “Sea water intrusion has reached the Setia Budi area in South Jakarta. Floods will become even more unmanageable,” he said. Sea water intrusion and subsidence can also cause buildings to collapse. 

Darrundono criticized the construction of super-block buildings and skyscrapers in Jakarta, which also takes up excessive amount of ground water. 

SOFIAN| LIS

Stop using groundwater, says environmental board

The Jakarta Post, JAKARTA | Sat, 02/28/2009 10:31 AM 

 

The city environment board (BPLHD) has called on residents and building developers to stop making new groundwater wells and start using tap water.

 

The call was made following reports that groundwater exploitation had led to water shortages and land subsidence.

 

BPLHD official Dian Wiwekowati said many city residents were still reluctant to shift to tap water.

“Many residents prefer to dig their existing wells deeper or make new wells to get sufficient water, rather than use piped water,” she said Friday at a press conference.

“Commercial buildings like malls, apartments, hotels and office buildings are doing the same, making water supplies in large parts of the city critical.”

Among the most critical areas are Tebet and Pasar Minggu in South Jakarta, and Duren Sawit, Ciracas and Pasar Rebo in East Jakarta.

Residents of those areas have to dig more than 16 meters deep to get groundwater, and another 8 meters deeper in the dry season.

Residents in less critical areas, like Mampang Prapatan and Kebayoran Baru in South Jakarta, and Cempaka Putih in Central Jakarta, need to dig 12 to 16 meters deep for water, and 18 to 24 meters in the dry season.

Dian said the BPLHD would limit the issuance of permits to build artesian wells for new commercial buildings, as existing wells now contributed more than 80 percent of total groundwater use in the city.

 

“We will allow them to make their own wells if the tap water companies are not able to provide their entire water needs,” she said.

In 2004, the Jakarta mining agency drew up a memorandum of understanding with private water companies PT PAM Lyonnaise Jaya (Palyja) and PT Aetra Air Jakarta and the city’s water operator PT PAM Jaya, requiring the private operators to supply clean water to minimize groundwater use.

However, residents and businesses operators continue to use groundwater, after complaining  about the operators’ poor services, including low quality of tap water, disrupted services and limited pipeline networks.

Last year, the city administration said more than 1,000 companies in the city had overused groundwater.

Aetra business service director Rhamses Simanjuntak said his company was currently working to improve services.

To pressure residents and business operators to limit groundwater consumption, Dian said her agency would ask the city administration to increase tax on groundwater.

“We are currently preparing a draft on groundwater tax adjustment and will propose it to the city council this year,” she said.

Under the proposal, the price of groundwater for elite residential areas will increase from Rp 525 per cubic meter to Rp 3,300, and for industry from Rp 8,800 to Rp 23,000.

Dian said experts from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) had conducted research last year to help the agency decide the ideal rate. (hwa)

Twelve new springs appear around Buyan Lake, Bali

Denpasar (ANTARA News) - At least 12 new springs have appeared suddenly around Buyan Lake, Buleleng District, which is located around 55 km north of Denpasar.

Local farmers are now using water from the new springs for irrigation, Bali provincial forestry service head Made Sulendra said here on Saturday.

Some 4.93 sq km wide Buyan Lake is one of four lakes on Bali Island which have become tourist attractions.

Sulendra said it was believed the new springs had formed thanks to the massive regreening programs launched by the Bali provincial administration last year. Bali planted at least seven million trees last year, including in areas surrounding Buyan Lake.

Water supplies in Bedugul catchment area under threat

Wasti Atmodjo, The Jakarta Post, Bedugul, Bali

Climate change, land conversion, deforestation and the unchecked use of ground water are threatening water levels in the Bedugal catchment area, an expert warned recently.

"The local administration must act immediately to protect this precious area.

Conservation, reforestation and firm controls on development are needed very soon," Sandi Adnyana, a soil expert at Udayana University's Center for Environmental Research (PPLH), said last week.

Bedugul is located 60 kilometers north of Denpasar in a hilly, cool area dotted with trees. The area is home to three of the island's four lakes -- Beratan, Buyan and Tamblingan.

These lakes are the primary source of water for human consumption and farm irrigation in the Buleleng, Tabanan and Badung regencies, as well as in Denpasar. Bedugul's beautiful scenery and climate have also made it one of the island's most popular tourist destinations, particularly among domestic visitors. Many of the island's wealthier inhabitants have purchased land there to construct villas and hotels.

"We know that for several years water levels at Buyan Lake have steadily been decreasing. At one point the water level reached two meters," a senior official at the island's Environmental Impacts Management Agency (Bapedalda), AA Sastrawan, said last week. Sastrawan said climate change was one of the primary causes of declining water levels in the area as during the last few years, annual rainfall had been less than average.

Research conducted by PPLH last year concluded there were several reasons for declining water supplies in the area. "Our results suggest climate change, land conversion and the unchecked use of water have played a big role in the decline of water supplies," Sandi said.

PPLH researchers compared data from several time periods to get a clearer picture of the effects of land conversion in the area. "Satellite images and aerial photos show that the size of coffee plantations and primary forests around the two lakes have decreased compared to their size in 1981," Sandi said. "There has been a 87.90 percent decrease in the size of coffee plantations." Sandi said coffee plants, which were the primary crop in the area, had the ability to improve the structure and strength of soil. Coffee plants store water in the rainy season and release it into springs and ground water sources during the dry season, he added. The decreasing size of coffee plantations in the area surrounding Buyan and Tamblingan means that the lakes have lost one of their primary supporting systems.

The images studied by PPLH researches also indicated that man-made structures were increasingly being built, as were farms. "The decrease in water levels is also caused by the unchecked use of ground water by villagers living in close proximity to the lakes," Sandi said.

In Wanagiri village, residents pump water out of the lake for 10 hours straight on any given day. On average they use 72 cubic meters of water each day. Water pumped out of the lake is used for the daily needs of residents as well as meeting the water requirements of several restaurants in the area.

The situation at Tamblingan Lake is much the same. Residents from Gobleg and Pedawa villages pump water from the lake in large quantities to meet their irrigation needs. The combined water consumption of 500 households in the villages was estimated to be as high as 1,250 cubic meters per day. Sandi said there were at least 46 man-made wells surrounding Buyan Lake.

"Another probable cause of these low water levels is that water in the lakes is being drawn out through underground channels, which cause water springs to form in other areas," he said.

He said conservation efforts around the lakes should include large-scale reforestation projects.

"Stop illegal logging, minimize land conversion, reduce the speed of housing development in the area and if possible start cultivating coffee again," he said.

Administration tells residents to dig in

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The city administration has requested the public dig one million biopores around homes and office buildings, to help the city combat floods.

Head of Jakarta's Environmental Management Agency, Budirama Natakusumah, told reporters Wednesday the city administration would launch a biopore program Saturday at Soemantri Brojonegoro youth center in Kuningan, South Jakarta.

A biopore is an organic waste disposal system which serves the dual purpose of allowing water to seep into the ground more easily.

They can be made simply using a specially designed hand-operated iron bore which drills into the ground, and creates a 1 meter-deep hole with a diameter of between 10 and 30 centimeters.

The hole can be used to dispose of organic waste such as leftover chicken bones, rotten vegetables or fallen leaves.

The buried waste attracts ants, worms and a variety of underground fauna which turn the garbage into compost. Animals may also create tunnels to access the waste which in turn allows rainwater to be absorbed into groundwater more easily.

"This is society's best tool to help the city combat flooding," Budirama said.

"The holes are very easy to make since one tool can be shared by hundreds of households," he said, adding that the tools would be distributed to some 200 community unit chiefs during Saturday's event.

The event will involve several non-government organizations and university students who will assist local communities to make and maintain the biopores.

The technique was first made public by Kamir Brata, a researcher from Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB), last year and has been applied in Bogor.

On April 22, Bogor city administration ordered the digging of 5,250 biopore holes in 21 of its sub-districts.

As of June, the city had dug more then 22,000 holes.

Kamir has been promoting the technology to Jakarta since.

"The problem with Jakarta's flood mitigation technology is that they are still separating water containment and waste disposal. These two areas are closely related and need to be addressed simultaneously," he said.

He claims to have introduced the technique to Jakarta officials around a year ago, but said he kept getting snubbed.

"I guess they thought the technology was too simple," he told The Jakarta Post in a separate interview.

"But it's good they're adopting it now, they are finally coming around," he said.

Budirama said the city also wants to build absorption wells under the city's flood prone streets but was waiting for the Jakarta Public Works Agency to release a concrete plan. (anw)

Fishermen hamper mangrove reforestation efforts

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Efforts to revitalize Jakarta's dwindling mangrove forests in Muara Angke have been hampered by local fishermen farming shrimp and fishing in the designated conservation area, a ranger from the Forestry Ministry told The Jakarta Post last week.

Angke Kapuk mangrove reserve ranger Resijati Wasito said fish farmers had cleared approximately 80 percent of the 100 hectare wetlands.

The reforestation program has been hindered by fishermen rearing milk fish and shrimp and removing mangrove trees and their roots, he said.

"It's hard to deal with the illegal fishermen. We've asked them to leave, because this conservation area belongs to the Forestry Ministry, but they keep returning.

"They damaged seedlings we planted, and even threatened us with machetes to try to stop us planting more trees," Resijati said.

He said there were currently some 30 fishermen and their families living in shanties in the Angke Kapuk reserve, even though the land was acquired by the ministry in 1988.

Resijati told the Post the government also gave compensation to fishermen who left the area, but those efforts appeared to be fruitless.

"We continue to ask them to leave because we have no authority to expel them. We've also asked for military personnel to protect new trees," he said.

The reserve has changed substantially with the fish farming. Where once stood a shady forest of mangrove trees, now there are only milk fish ponds.

In 2002 the Forestry Ministry and the reserve developer, PT Murindra Karya Lestari, planted some 50,000 mangrove seedlings, but most of them were uprooted by fishermen, leaving only around 100, Resijati said.

Since 2004 some 14,000 mangrove seedlings have been planted with better supervision. Around 10,000 can now be seen near the ponds.

Resijati said left undisturbed it would take seedlings nearly 10 years to grow into a forest.

Kapuk Angke natural reserve, together with the nearby Muara Angke wildlife reserve and protected forest, are the only remaining mangrove forest sites in Jakarta, whose coastline stretches some 32 kilometers from east to west. The three reserve sites total some 170 hectares.

Most of Jakarta's mangrove forests have been cleared not only for fish farming, but also for building developments, which have an even greater environmental impact, Resijati said.

He said mangrove forest wetlands play a crucial role in slowing the abrasion of beaches, protecting the city from big ocean waves and flooding, and serve as a nursery for marine life and a feeding grounds for a large number of animals.

The forests, he said, also function as green belts, protecting groundwater in nearby areas from salination. (wda)

Old meets new in biopore campaign

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

It's an old technique often used in Indonesia's rural areas, but the campaign for backyard biopore absorption holes (biopores) was heard for the first time in Jakarta on Saturday.

Enthusiasm ran high as experts from the Agricultural Institute of Bogor (IPB) and Erhalogy, a cosmetic brand, talked to Setu Babakan residents in Jagakarsa, South Jakarta.

The household technique, combining waste and water management, involves drilling a hole no bigger than 30 centimeters wide and 100 centimeters deep as an organic waste bin that also increases groundwater absorption.

"The old technique takes on new meaning as it can be used to mitigate flooding and take care of our waste problem," said Kamir R. Brata, professor from the landscape architecture department at IPB, who coordinates the campaign.

In Indonesia, the compost sinks began to receive more attention after February's flood which took numerous lives and caused losses of trillions of rupiah.

In April, the Bogor administration ordered more than 5,000 biopores sunk in 21 subdistricts.

As of June, Bogor had finished more then 22,000 holes. Kamir wants to expand the program to surrounding areas, including Jakarta.

According to Kamir, Jakarta planners have ignored the environment, preventing nature's underground network of roots, insects, worms and rodents from living up to potential.

Biopores return natural function to the ground when organic waste is composted, because insects and worms thrive, multiplying tiny passageways in the soil which absorb water.

"God has already given us the workers to keep floods away, now our duty is to make sure these workers don't leave."

The hole is made with a T-shaped hand drill which rotates clockwise. After the hole is made and tidied up, an effective microorganism (EM) solution is added to speed up decomposition.

All of the tools can be ordered from the landscape architecture department at IPB.

The ideal number of holes depends on the intensity of rains in the area. Adequate, however, explained Kamir, is for five small households sharing one drill to sink 25 holes in the immediate vicinity of their homes.

Dimiati, a corn farmer and producer, is among those who are not yet satisfied with the waste solution. While the holes may be able to deal with household waste, he said, he doesn't think they can handle industrial byproduct, which accumulates tons at time.

"I still don't see it as the solution to the waste problem," he said.

IPB and Erhalogy gave the four neighborhood units in Setu Babakan -- comprising 120 households -- 24 iron drills, 120 waste containers, eight drums of EM solution and ready-to-use EM and EM starter kits.

The donors plan to spend four months making sure the tools are used properly and the biopores maintained properly.

"The company is just concerned about the environment. The way we see it, the surface of the earth is like skin -- it needs pores to stay healthy, so we believe this idea is an innovative way to promote our brand," Erhalogy marketing manager Djoko Kurniawan said.

More information can be found at Biopori.com. (anw)

Govt makes industries recycle groundwater

Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Amid rising concern over a water crisis in the capital, the city administration has stepped up pressure on industrial sectors to start recycling water.

The Jakarta Mining Agency said the recycled water could be used to meet demands for clean water from companies operating in business districts.

"Recycling water is a must to reduce the excessive exploitation of groundwater," agency head Peni Susanti said Wednesday.

The agency signed an agreement on the management of groundwater with operators of the business areas Mega Kuningan in Central Jakarta, Kelapa Gading in North Jakarta and Mangga Dua in West Jakarta.

The administration, however, did not specify technologies that could be used to recycle water.

"Recycling water has become common practice in several countries to save water," she said.

Recycled water is most commonly used for non-potable purposes, such as agriculture, landscape, public parks and golf course irrigation.

Other applications include cooling water for power plants and oil refineries, industrial process water for facilities such as paper mills and carpet dyers, toilet flushing, dust control, construction activities, concrete mixing and artificial lakes, as stated on the website of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Although most water recycling projects have been developed to meet non-potable demands, a number of projects use recycled water indirectly for potable purposes.

These projects include recharging groundwater aquifers and augmenting surface water reservoirs with recycled water. In groundwater recharge projects, recycled water can be spread or injected into groundwater aquifers to augment groundwater supplies, and to prevent salt water intrusion in coastal areas.

Peni said the overexploitation of groundwater in Jakarta had accelerated land subsidence, particularly in business districts where many high-rise building have been built.

"In the Mega Kuningan business area, the level of the groundwater is decreasing by five meters per year. The area could collapse unless there is some control of the groundwater use," she said.

According to agency data, 80 percent of the city's land subsidence is caused by building construction, 17 percent by groundwater exploitation and 3 percent by natural causes.

"Therefore, we will invite all managements of the business districts in the capital to sign the agreement," she said.

She said operators of business areas were also required to set up percolation pits to help recharge the groundwater supply.

"They must also dig lakes in their areas to harvest rain in a bid to recharge the groundwater supply," she said.

Businesses, including hotels and hospitals, are the main users of groundwater.

There are currently 3,600 companies in Jakarta that hold permits to take a maximum of 100 cubic meters of groundwater per day.

Since the groundwater reserve has reached critical levels, the administration has stopped issuing new permits for the industrial sector.

Governor-elect Fauzi Bowo, in a speech at a seminar organized by the agency, said he would raise the tariff of groundwater to protect the long-term interests of the city.

The mining agency currently charges companies Rp 4,000 for every cubic meter of groundwater they use. Piped water costs about Rp 12,000 a cubic meter.

Estimates by the Jakarta administration put the city's water needs at around 547.5 million cubic meters per year.

The city's two tap water operators can only meet half of the need as they produce 295 million cubic meters of water per year.

Treated reused groundwater go to farms, dinner table

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

With increasing pressure on water supplies as a result of population growth in metropolitan centers, several countries have developed water recycling projects for non-potable purposes such as irrigation, agriculture, industrial processes, toilet flushing and replenishing groundwater basins.

The first recycling water facility was built at San Francisco's Golden Gate Park in 1932. Since then, the use of recycled water has continued to rise.

The Water Factory 21 Direct Injection Project in Orange County, California, has been injecting highly treated recycled water into the aquifer to prevent salt water intrusion, while augmenting the potable groundwater supply since 1976.

A world-class golf course in the U.S. state of Hawaii, Koele Golf Course, has used recycled water for irrigation since 1994.

The Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station located near Phoenix Arizona, uses recycled water for cooling purposes.

The Irvine Ranch Water District provides recycled water for toilet flushing in high-rise buildings in Irvine, California.

Singapore has adopted a varied approach for ensuring a sustainable water supply. Aside from importing water from Malaysia, collecting and treating local surface runoff and desalinating seawater, Singapore reuses wastewater through its NEWater scheme.

Two plants came online in 2003, producing 72 million liters of purified recycled water per day. Most of NEWater is supplied to wafer fabrication plants, electronic industries, commercial buildings and other industries for non-potable uses.

Veurne-Ambacht, a tourist region on the coast of Belgium, recharges the groundwater basin with purified recycled water to prevent seawater intrusion.

Essex, the driest county in the UK, has implemented a water recycling scheme since 1997. Up to 28 million liters per day of treated wastewater is mixed with river water and pumped into the Hanningfield reservoir.

In Australia's Toowoomba and Goulburn, wastewater has been recycled for decades, usually for recreational facilities such as ponds in parks and golf courses. The two cities plan to use recycled sewage for drinking water.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the U.S. is currently developing initiatives to recycle water more efficiently on the International Space Station in preparation for future trips to the Moon and Mars.

Researchers are developing technology to recover water from astronauts' sweat, breath vapor and urine. It is hoped to produce 132 liters of potable water per day, which would be sufficient for a seven-person crew.

Source: www.epa.gov, www.science.org.au

Jakarta drinking water still poisonous

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Studies have shown most of Jakarta's ground water is polluted with E. Coli and Coliform which can cause diarrhea and life-threatening cholera.

Jakarta's water operators still do not have connections to a lot of the city so many residents use wells and have no access to clean water.

The 2006 Human Development Report said the urban poor spend more than others on water by either buying bottled water or raw water in jerricans.

The report said this socioeconomic group needed then to spend more of their budget on kerosene to boil jerrican water to ensure it was safe for consumption.

"This is the dilemma ... the government should invest more on clean water access for the people, but due to budget constraints ... (from the) bureaucracy, people should take the initiative to provide themselves with clean water," Rieneke Rolos, deputy project director for the Aman Tirta (Safe Water System) program said.

Rieneke spoke at a seminar which was part of a one-day conference on Indonesia's water problems held by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The USAID seminar was held in conjunction with the Indo Water 2007 conference and exhibition at the Jakarta Convention Center.

Aman Tirta is a partnership between Johns Hopkins University, CARE and PT Tanshia Consumer Products and is coordinated by USAID.

Aman Tirta produces Air RahMat, a concentrate of sodium hypochlorite that allows households to clean their water without first boiling it.

Rieneke said water in West Timor refugee camps and tsunami-hit Aceh that had been treated with Air RahMat was 47 percent less likely to be polluted and 85 percent less likely to cause diarrhea.

"A household spends approximately Rp 60,000 (US$6.4) a month to boil water, but a bottle of Air Rahmat worth Rp 5,000 is enough for to create one month's worth of clean water for consumption," Rieneke said.

Arum Wulandari from the Emmanuel Foundation introduced through the water seminar a system called Sodis -- or solar disinfection -- which she said was an alternative to household water management.

"It's basically using abundant ultra violet rays to kill micro-organisms polluting the water," she said.

It was already being used in six locations in Jakarta and earthquake-stricken Yogyakarta and the new system had proven itself effective in efforts to clean the water, she said.

"In our research in Jakarta last year, no E. Coli was detected in water treated with Sodis," Arum said.

Zainal Nampira from the water treatment and sanitation department at the Health Ministry said it was time for households to be aware of all the options available.

"We need to work together to broaden public knowledge on hygienic, easy and less-expensive ways to treat water for consumption," he said.

"This will also ease the effort to achieve our Millennium Development Goal (MDG)."

In 1990 just 45 percent of Indonesia had access to clean water for consumption and access to sanitation facilities. MDG requires Indonesia to increase this to 72.5 percent before 2015.

Facts on water and sanitation

-- A 2004 study of 48 wells in Jakarta found most of the wells contained coliform and fecal coli bacteria. By June, some 63 percent of the wells exceeded safe coliform levels. That figure rose to 67 percent by October. (Friends of the Earth Indonesia, www.walhi.or.id)

-- Almost 80 percent of Indonesians use water sources that are likely to be contaminated with bacteria. Most water sources in Indonesia are constructed without considering the minimum distance to septic tanks. (February 2004, Indonesia Development Report for the Millennium Development Goals)

-- Due to bad sanitation, some 100,000 toddlers in Indonesia die every year. (World Bank, Water and Sanitation Program: Urban Sanitation, Portrait, Hope and Opportunities)

-- In Indonesia, only 64 percent of people have access to basic sanitation. Seventy-eight percent of these people live in large cities, while 22 percent are in rural areas. This figure does not indicate ownership of sanitation means. It only shows the percentage of people with access to basic sanitation, whether public or privately owned. It also does not show the condition of the sanitation facilities. (February 2004, Indonesia Development Report for the Millennium Development Goals)

-- As of 2006, the government's investment in sanitation was a mere Rp 200 per person per year. An investment increase in sanitation infrastructure to Rp 51,254 per person per year would boost people's production 34 to 79 percent, reduce health costs by 6 to 19 percent, and cut medicine costs 2 to 5 percent (World Bank, Sanitation: Urban Sanitation, Portrait, Hope and Opportunities)

-- Indonesia only has 11 cities that have centralized sanitation systems. These are Balikpapan, Banjarmasin, Cirebon, Denpasar, Jakarta, Medan, Surakarta, Tangerang and Yogyakarta. (Bappenas and Water and Sanitation Program, the World Bank: Urban Sanitation, Portrait, Hope, and Opportunities)

-- Water companies only serve around 40 percent of urban households. The rest use other sources such as wells or water vendors. In rural areas, water companies only serve 10 percent of households. (Indonesia, Averting an Infrastructure Crisis: A Framework for Policy and Action; 2004)

-- Per year, economic losses related to poor sanitation reach Rp 4.23 trillion, or equal to 2 percent of total GDP. This figure also equals Rp 100,000 per household per year

-- Of 50 million urban poor who do not have clean water connections, six million pay very high rates to water vendors outside water companies. They can pay up to Rp 25,000 per cubic meter of water, Rp 23,000 more expensive than the water company's rate of Rp 2,000

February flood left polluted soil in East, North Jakarta: Study

Adianto P Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Although the use of lead in fuel was stopped last year, lead contamination in city soil hit dangerous levels in the aftermath of the February floods, a survey has revealed.

The survey, carried out by the State Ministry for the Environment, showed the lead level in soil at industrial areas in Pulo Gadung, East Jakarta reached 359.5 milligrams per kilogram after the floods, far higher than tolerable standard of 100 mg/kg.

"That's a very dangerous level because it will pollute the sources of ground water in surrounding areas," I Ketut Muliartha, the deputy assistant for the recovery of environmental quality at the environment ministry, said Thursday.

He said deposits of lead in soil were toxic to both humans and animals.

For humans, lead poisoning can cause birth defects and damage brain cells, marrow, kidneys and other vital organs, particularly in children.

"We think the lead pollution is from metal processing plants in the area or paint from buildings that had been absorbed into the soil," he said.

Lead was widely used in paint in the past.

He said the finding had been handed over to the management of the Pulo Gadung industrial area for them to follow up.

Dozens of industrial areas in Greater Jakarta were severely hit by the February floods.

The ministry survey also took samples of floodwater at a hospital in Kepala Gading and at Pertamina's fuel depot in Plumpang, both in North Jakarta.

The survey found metal pollutants surrounding the hospital and the Pertamina depot were relatively low.

"But the level of micro organisms in the flood water around the hospital was relatively high, reaching 98,000 to 157,000 per milliliter," he said.

The oil content found to have leaked into the water at the Pertamina depot was relatively low at 828 mg/kg.

"We wanted to make sure the depot hadn't leaked and polluted nearby areas during the floods," he said.

The February flood was the largest flood in five years, inundating around 70% of the city and causing severe economic losses.

Many industries were forced to close their operations by the high water level.

Ketut said some industries, which had yet to set up waste water processing plants, might have used the flood as an opportunity to illegally dump their waste.

The Jakarta administration has admitted that many businesses operating in the capital are not equipped with waste water processing plants.

Ketut said the results of the survey could not be used to draw conclusions about the state of all the city's soil.

"But it is warning call (for the whole city) because the soil is seriously polluted. So companies also have to be serious about treating their hazardous waste by improving their waste water processing plants," he said.

The ministry currently handles 15 areas polluted by hazardous waste across the archipelago. Most sites had been contaminated by the activities of mining, oil and gas companies.

Ketut said his office recovered 12 hectares of contaminated land last year.

Meanwhile, Budi Haryanto from health department at the University of Indonesia was surprised with the finding.

"The government must trace the source of the lead soon to avoid it polluting ground water in the area. It's dangerous for the human health," he told the Post.

Half of the Jakarta's approximately 10 million people currently rely on ground water for drinking. Groundwater has long had problems with contamination with E-coli bacteria.

Environmentalists in Jakarta had urged the government to stop using lead in gasoline produced by state-oil and gas company Pertamina since 2001.

Budi, who has conducted surveys on lead, said children were the most susceptible to poisoning.

His survey found the lead content in the blood samples of Jakarta elementary schools students dropped from 8.6 microns per milliliter to 4.2 microns when the phase out of lead was introduced. The tolerable lead in human blood is 10 microns per milliliter.

Climate change will 'seriously harm RI'

Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

It is no long shot. Indonesia is facing serious threats on many fronts from climate change, a government report says.

A country report on the impact of climate change says that water scarcity is a clear danger to Indonesia, with some coastal areas facing the real prospect of disappearing off the map.

"Indonesia is vulnerable to climate change. Floods, droughts, landslides and forest fires are common climate-related hazards here," Rizaldi Boer, the coordinating author of the central government's report Climate Variability and Climate Change and their Implications in Indonesia, said Wednesday.

The executive summary of the first-ever official report on climate change was delivered at an international seminar on water and climate change Wednesday.

The report will be published next month before being submitted to the United Nations.

The report says climate change will lengthen the dry period caused by El-ni¤o and deplete sources of surface water.

Warmer temperature are expected to lead to a rise in sea levels and worsen the quality of groundwater, which has long been the main source of drinking water in urban areas.

The report says saltwater intrusion is already occurring in Jakarta, Surabaya and Semarang.

In Jakarta, the problem has been evident since the 1960s. The shallow groundwater of coastal areas was brackish before major groundwater developments in previous decades.

Saltwater intrusion in the shallow and deep aquifer has reached 15 kilometers from the coastline in Jakarta and caused serious land subsidence that will make the areas more flood prone, the report says.

Indonesia has around 81.000 kilometers of coastline.

Many industries such as oil and gas, fisheries, agriculture and tourism operate in coastal areas.

The report says a one meter rise in sea levels would flood 405,000 hectares of coastal land and could lead to the disappearance of small islands. This would have serious implications for Indonesia's state borders.

The report says a water crisis would negatively affect crop yields in farming areas, while an increase in temperatures and carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations would also affect rice yields.

The report also predicts global warming will make more people become vulnerable to outbreaks of water and vector-borne disease such as malaria and dengue fever.

Indonesia is currently the world's third largest emitter of greenhouse gases due to the significant release of carbon dioxide from deforestation.

Latulahat windmill a model for power self-reliance in rural areas

M. Azis Tunny, The Jakarta Post, Ambon

A 10-meter tower sits atop a hill on the west coast of Ambon Island, Maluku. On its peak, three propellers, measuring 4.5 meters in diameter each, rotate in the wind.

The windmill in Latulahat village isn't just a power generating device; it's a step toward energy independence and a cleaner environment.

Dwindling fossil fuel reserves, thus far the primary source of energy used to generate electricity in Indonesia, have driven some in the country to look for other sources of energy.

The pilot project is a joint venture between the Maluku provincial administration and Sciement Group from Russia.

The 5,000-watt windmill adjusts to handle wind speeds of between 3.5 meters and 25 meters per second and can supply three-phase electricity at between 220 to 380 volts. It should last up to 20 years and can power at least 40 households. The device not only produces electricity; it also pumps ground water.

Other rural areas could end up following Latulahat's lead, said State Minister for the Development of Disadvantaged Regions Saifullah Yusuf when he launched the project recently. He credited the Maluku provincial administration with a significant breakthrough in the field of power generation.

"We should use the program being developed by the Maluku governor as an example," he said.

Saifullah said rural areas were especially affected by the lack of alternative energy sources.

"Most villages have no access to electricity because they totally depend on the PLN state power company. Even if they are connected, they still can't afford to use it."

He said based on 2005 data, 30 percent of the 17,611 villages in Indonesia have never had access to electricity since the country gained its independence. Of the remaining villages, only half can afford to use electricity.

Of Maluku's approximately 800 villages, 340 are not connected to the power network.

"The provincial administration's effort to produce wind-generated electricity should be commended and jointly supported to promote power self-reliance in rural areas," said Saifullah.

The types of energy appropriate for rural areas may vary. For example, an area which has less wind could develop a solar or hydropower system.

Maluku Governor Karel Albert Ralahalu said Maluku was uniquely positioned to take advantage of windmill technology.

"We should tap power from the wind because it would be very beneficial for Maluku, which consists of small islands situated in the center of the wind flow from Australia and the Pacific Ocean. The wind potential is enormous all year round," said Karel.

He said people in rural areas could have access to electricity within 10 years by turning to local sources, especially renewable ones such as hydro, solar and wind.

Maluku Mining and Energy Office head Chris Hehanussa said the wind energy program was eco-friendly and inexpensive to operate because the windmill only needs lubricants to continue running

Water concession no guarantee of equal access to services

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Market prices rise rapidly to reflect increased scarcity.

The limited supply of water and the costs associated with processing and the maintenance of the pipes channeling the water to customers are among the reasons why water operators impose rates.

The question is how much should a tap water customer pay?

It is free if they take it directly from the springs uphill, groundwater reserves or even the polluted rivers.

Water is a basic necessity, thus the people's right to access water should be guaranteed and protected by the government.

To guarantee it, the city-owned water operator has imposed fixed rates for the first 10 cubic meters used and progressive prices for further usage.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) standard is a minimum of 20 liters of water per person for daily use of water, including for cooking, drinking, bathing and washing.

The latest data from the government's Working Group for Drinking Water and Sanitation (Pokja AMPL) says that one person living in the city uses 100-120 liters per day on average with many people use piped water to water the garden, wash their car or open a home laundry business.

Pokja AMPL executive Oswar Muadzin Mungkasa said that the average family of four in Pondok Indah, South Jakarta, used 20 cubic meters or more of water each month.

With the current rate of Rp 6,525 per cubic meter, a family with an income of more than Rp 5 million per month could afford to use that much water, despite their complaints of frequent disruption and low water quality.

Customers like these are treasured by water providers, not low-income households that use a maximum of five cubic meters of water per month. The city's two water operator partners are currently focusing on the more prosperous parts of the capital to ensure a swift return on their investment, leaving 88 percent of the urban poor without access to piped water.

The most severe conditions are in coastal areas of North Jakarta. The city's private partners have argued the metal water pipes are corroding due to sea intrusion and are hence impossible to maintain.

Opening new access to densely populated slums is another reason, besides the residents' inability to raise the Rp 1 million connection fee.

In his final year dissertation, presented in August at the University of Indonesia's School of Economics and titled The impact of drinking water investment on economic growth and income distribution in Jakarta, Oswar found that the urban poor in North Jakarta paid almost five times more for clean water compared to people living on the other side of the city.

"Sea intrusion makes it impossible for them to exploit groundwater. Lack of access to piped water leaves them with no other choice but to buy water from vendors," he told The Jakarta Post.

A study on small-scale water providers, funded by the Asian Development Bank, found that the business was dominated by cart vendors in number. The price of 20 liters of water in one jerrican is tagged at between Rp 3,000-5,000 by the vendors. With a total of about Rp 50,000 per cubic meter, to meet their monthly water need of five cubic meters, each household has to spend up to Rp 250,000.

"They spend too much on water. The international standard for water price is only 3 percent of monthly income," Oswar said.

Jakarta's minimum wage hovers at about Rp 1 million.

Alizar Yazid, an expert with the Jakarta Water Regulatory Body, said that a large part of water investment had gone into efforts to minimize leakage and water theft.

"If the problem were solved, we could move on to improving water access for the poor," he told the Post.

Oscar said that, in the meantime, the government was subsidizing the poor through its scheme to offset the fuel price increases, as well as the provision of community wells and public bathrooms.

For "practical reasons", the facilities are situated at the far end of the water connection to ease distribution but far from the targeted slum dwellers. And that is how the money game starts.

Thugs hover around the facilities, imposing fees for those who want to fill their water containers or use the toilets.

Meanwhile, vendors make money delivering water by cart to the slum dwellers.

"As soon as the facilities are built, they are handed over to the locals who operate and maintain them. Imposing fees is understandable, because maintenance requires money. Unfortunately, there is no further monitoring on how it benefits the poor," Oswar said.