Central Java Provincial Government Launches ‘One House, One Infiltration Well’ Campaign to Protect Groundwater

The Central Java Provincial Government officially launched the Sak Omah Sak Sumur Resapan (Sopan), or ‘One House, One Infiltration Well’, campaign in Gertas hamlet, Brongkol village, Jambu sub-district, Semarang Regency, on Tuesday (27 October).

The campaign is intended to raise public awareness of environmental protection and strengthen groundwater reserves, particularly during the dry season.

Infiltration wells have been in place in Gertas since 2019 and continue to benefit residents, particularly by helping to stabilise water flows.

Central Java Deputy Governor Taj Yasin Maimoen said the experience of Gertas residents could serve as an example for other areas in the province seeking to develop water conservation efforts at household level.

“We are starting in Gertas because the community here has been implementing the infiltration-well initiative since 2019, and it has already brought benefits,” Taj Yasin said after visiting the site.

He pointed to an avocado tree near the site that continues to bear fruit, saying it was one indication of the benefits of efforts to maintain local water supplies.

Taj Yasin said he hoped the Sak Omah Sak Sumur Resapan campaign would encourage greater public concern for environmental preservation. Building infiltration wells around homes, he said, was a simple step that communities could take together to support water conservation.

A Gertas resident, Isroudin, said the infiltration wells had made a difference. Previously, water flow from drilled wells tended to be low. Since the infiltration wells were built, the flow has become more stable.

“Thankfully, after the infiltration wells were built, the water flow began to stabilise. This is very helpful and beneficial for the people of Gertas during this dry season,” Isroudin said.

There are currently five infiltration wells in Gertas, each about three metres deep. They were built through community self-help with support from the Semarang Regency Agriculture Office.