City rule needed on water catchment wells

City rule needed on water catchment wells

JAKARTA (JP): City officials said a city rule on water
catchment wells was needed to avoid further groundwater
contamination and depletion.

Aboejoewono, head of the city's environmental bureau said
Thursday the rule would help enforce the 1992 gubernatorial
decree stating that people had to build water catchment wells.

The decree also stipulates that developers must attach
proposals on water catchment wells when applying for building
permits.

The head of the production unit of the city-run water company
PDAM Jaya, Kris Totuko, agreed that a stronger rule than the
decree was needed, saying the quality of artesian wells were
deteriorating because of rapid building activities.

Groundwater, found around 60 meters underground, is estimated
to be enough for only eight more years.

Governor Surjadi Soedirdja said if no significant preventive
measures were taken, Jakarta would face disaster after 2003.

Water catchment wells, which preserve rain water, are aimed at
prolonging groundwater.

Data of the city's mining agency said groundwater exploitation
here has reached 90,000 cubic meters per day, and would increase
by 4 percent to 5 percent per year.

Hendro Pranoto Soesilo, an expert with the Minister of Public
Works, said drilling down to artesian wells raised the risk of
water pollution.

The Republika daily quoted him on March 9 as saying that
groundwater exploitation here, which he estimated at 2 million
cubic meters yearly, had exceeded limits of 1.4 million cubic
meters per year set by the Directorate of Geology and
Environment.

Aboejoewono cautioned that the rule on catchment wells may not
be applied in all areas of Jakarta, as several areas were
unsuitable for water catchment wells. North Jakarta's groundwater
was too shallow, he said.

Kris said 55 percent of the city's water supply comes from
groundwater because PDAM Jaya could only supply 45 percent of the
demand.

PDAM officials earlier said that by 2006 the company would be
able to supply 85 percent of the demand of 1,265,744 households.
Kris said consumers should then prefer to use the company's water
rather than utilizing artesian wells. (11)