City, NSW govt to cooperate on $4b waste water system<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The city administration will cooperate with the
\nNew South Wales state government in the construction and
\nmanagement of a large-scale waste water system worth about US$4
\nbillion, an official said.<\/p>\n
Head of the Regional Environmental Impact Management Agency
\n(Bapedalda) Prawoto S. Danumihardjo said on Tuesday the
\nAustralian state's government would be in charge of chairing a
\nworldwide consortium to finance the project under a sister city
\nprogram.<\/p>\n
It will be called the Jakarta Total Integrated Waste Water and
\nSewage System.<\/p>\n
Without mentioning countries interested in the project,
\nPrawoto said private companies would be allowed to participate.<\/p>\n
"So far Thames Water International of Britain has offered to
\nbecome an operator of the system," he said.<\/p>\n
The British company is now involved in managing tap water
\nsupplies in the eastern part of the city in cooperation with
\ncity-owned water company PDAM Jaya.<\/p>\n
Prawoto said the project would be entirely financed by the
\nconsortium under a 25-year build-operate-transfer scheme
\ninvolving city-owned waste water management company PD Pal Jaya.<\/p>\n
"The project was also discussed in the fourth Australia-
\nIndonesia Ministerial Forum in Bali from Feb. 23 to Feb. 25 this
\nyear," he said.<\/p>\n
Construction of the project is expected to start in 2000 with
\ncompletion in seven years.<\/p>\n
Prawoto explained the project was designed to change the
\ncurrent waste water management system, in which waste water was
\nfrequently channeled through septic tanks.<\/p>\n
"The current system is not environmentally friendly as the
\ntanks only hold the waste, while the water is absorbed by the
\nsoil, thereby causing pollution."<\/p>\n
Under the new system, all waste water will be channeled
\nthrough underground pipes to the sea, he added.<\/p>\n
Prawoto added that city residents would have to pay rates for
\nthe waste water pipe usage.<\/p>\n
"It's for the sake of a better environment and getting it is
\nnot free of charge," he said.<\/p>\n
The foreign consortium will also be allowed to lease the
\npipes, including for telephone lines, electricity cables or other
\nnetworks, he said.<\/p>\n
Prawoto also said Bapedalda found in its study in the
\n1997\/1998 fiscal year that almost all of the 300 city wells
\nstudied in the five mayoralties were heavily polluted due to
\ninadequate septic tanks. (ind)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/city-nsw-govt-to-cooperate-on-4b-waste-water-system-1447893297",
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