Company says water price hike due to pollution<\/p>\n
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang<\/p>\n
Tangerang regency water utility (PDAM) Tirta Kerta Raharja (TKR)
\nblamed the severely polluted Cisadane river, which flows through
\nthe regency, for its policy to increase the tap water price.<\/p>\n
PDAM president director Utar Sutarya said on Saturday that
\npolluted water from the river, the utility's main source, had
\ncaused high production costs.<\/p>\n
\"The water quality in the river has continuously declined due
\nto liquid waste being dumped into the river by industrial firms
\nand households,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Sutarya argued that his company was unable to prevent
\nbusinesses from dumping their liquid waste into the river because
\nthe PDAM was only a user of the river water, like other
\nindustrial firms and the public.<\/p>\n
\"We can only coordinate with the regency health agency to
\nsurvey and regularly monitor the water quality and take samples
\nof the river water for laboratory tests at PT Sucofindo,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The company -- along with Tangerang regency's environmental
\nand health agencies and Tangerang municipality tap water operator
\nPDAM Tirta Darma -- set up a joint team last August to carry out
\ntests on the river. The study found that 11 companies producing a
\nvariety of products, including ceramic goods, fiber, chemicals
\nand textiles, had been dumping liquid waste into the river.<\/p>\n
PDAM Tirta Darma announced earlier that water purification
\ncosts in the municipality had increased significantly.<\/p>\n
Tap water customers in Tangerang regency have voiced
\ncomplaints at skyrocketing bills that are 300 percent higher than
\nthose they paid in December. They demanded PDAM TKR review its
\ndecision, but the company is unlikely to do so as officials have
\nadamantly rejected any review of the recent hike.<\/p>\n
Tangerang Regent Ismet Iskandar said that his administration
\nhad no intention of reviewing the hike as the local council had
\napproved the decision.<\/p>\n
\"The councillors asked only for better service in the light of
\nthe increase. I personally believe the current price is
\naffordable,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Despite the price hike, customers in Cisoka and Ciputat
\ndistricts complained about how difficult it was to get clean
\nwater and demanded the company supply them.<\/p>\n
Cisoka district chief Toto Sudarto said residents in his area
\nhad sunk wells to a depth of up to 75 meters but the groundwater
\nwas yellowish and putrid.<\/p>\n
\"I filed complaints with Pak Ismet and the water company. They
\npromised to supply water in cooperation with Lebak regency water
\nutility but no clean water has been available as of now,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Residents in Ciputat have also filed the same complaint.<\/p>\n
\"We have no choice but to use the smelly and yellowish water
\nfor our daily needs,\" Nur Jamil, a neighborhood unit chief, said.
\nHe added that for cooking, the residents bought clean water from
\nvendors.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/company-says-water-price-hike-due-to-pollution-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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