Water shortage hits 117,000 customers<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): At least 117,000 customers in West and South
\nJakarta are suffering from water shortages, caught in the middle
\nof a dispute over the price of water between Jakarta and
\nTangerang water companies.<\/p>\n
A spokeswoman for the city's joint-venture tap water company
\nPT PAM Lyonnaise Jaya (Palyja), Maria Sidabutar, revealed on
\nThursday that 90,000 of its customers in West Jakarta and 27,000
\nin South Jakarta were affected by the shortage.<\/p>\n
Maria said the shortage was due to a decrease in supplies from
\nthe Tangerang regency-owned water company PAM Tangerang to Palyja
\nfrom the usual level of 2,200 liters per second to 1,500 liters
\nper second, following a disagreement over the price of water
\nbetween the two companies.<\/p>\n
PAM Tangerang had demanded a 25 percent increase in the price
\nit charged from the current price of Rp 915 per cubic meter, but
\nPalyja had simply refused to pay, saying that the increase was
\ntoo high.<\/p>\n
"We are still negotiating over the price. We expect help from
\nsenior officials to mediate in the dispute," Maria told The
\nJakarta Post over the phone.<\/p>\n
Palyja, a joint venture between city-owned water company PAM
\nJaya and French based Lyonnaise des Eaux, has about 275,000
\ncustomers, mostly in western parts of Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Areas likely to be affected by the shortages include
\nKalideres, Warung Gantung, Rawa Lele and Citra 1, Cengkareng,
\nTaman Surya V, Palem Lestari, Perumahan KSP, Bulak Wadon
\napartments, Tegal Alur, Meruya, Duri Mas, Duri Kepa, Kebon Jeruk,
\nKomplek Kodam and Sang Timur, Villa Kelapa Dua, Taman Duta Mas,
\nSukabumi Utara, Pejaten, Pasar Minggu, Pondok Indah and its
\nenvirons.<\/p>\n
A number of residents in West Jakarta contacted on Thursday
\nconfirmed that they had been receiving less tap water over the
\npast few days. Hundreds of residents in the Joglo area and Alpha
\nIndah housing complex, West Jakarta, complained about the water
\nshortages.<\/p>\n
"We haven't had any water for the past three days," said a
\nhousewife in the Alpha Indah housing complex, West Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The water shortage is the second to hit the city in less than
\ntwo months. In late May, hundreds of thousands of tap water
\ncustomers in North, East and some parts of Central Jakarta were
\ndeprived of their water supplies following the collapse of a dike
\non the West Tarum Canal, Kali Malang, East Jakarta.<\/p>\n
It took almost two weeks to complete the rehabilitation of the
\ndike and to restore supplies of untreated water to the water
\nprocessing plants belonging to Palyja and another joint venture
\nwater company, PT Thames Pam Jaya (TPJ).<\/p>\n
Maria said that Palyja had tried to increase the output of
\ntreated water from its Pejompongan water treatment plant using
\nadditional untreated water from Kali Malang. But this was still
\nnot enough to solve the problem.<\/p>\n
"We are so dependent on water supplies from PAM Tangerang,"
\nshe said, noting that the untreated water supply from Kali Malang
\nwas also limited.<\/p>\n
Separately, Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso said on Thursday that he
\nhad contacted Tangerang Regent Agus Djunara, his subordinate in
\nthe military, to help resolve the dispute over water charges, but
\nto no avail.<\/p>\n
If the dispute continued, Sutiyoso threatened that Jakarta
\nwould halt its water purchases from PAM Tangerang as the latter
\nhad arbitrarily reduced its water supply to Jakarta.<\/p>\n
"I have ordered city-owned PAM Jaya and its partner Palyja to
\ngradually decrease our dependency on Tangerang. If necessary, we
\ncould sever our (business) relations with Tangerang," Sutiyoso
\ntold reporters.<\/p>\n
He said that PAM Tangerang was demanding a large increase in
\nthe price it charged for water to Palyja because the Tangerang
\nwater company was continuing to suffer losses.<\/p>\n
"Don't transfer the losses to Jakarta by increasing water
\ncharges," he said, without mentioning the level of the losses.<\/p>\n
PAM Tangerang's executives could not be contacted for comment
\non Thursday. (jun)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/water-shortage-hits-117000-customers-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}