City to get two injection wells

JAKARTA (JP): The City Mining Agency plans to build two injection wells in South and North Jakarta to maintain groundwater levels in the areas.

Agency head Arifin Akbar said yesterday that the wells will be built next to Babakan Lake in Lenteng Agung and near Sunter dam in North Jakarta.

The injection well system is a method by which water is brought from nearby water sources and injected into man-made wells in areas short of water.

"The projects will start as soon as the preliminary study is completed, hopefully by the end of this month," Arifin said.

He said the study is testing the soil's characteristics and its ability to absorb water. Before being injected into the wells, the water will be checked for contamination.

Several areas in Jakarta have received no more than eight to 10 centimeters this year and have resorted to an excessive use of groundwater.

An old injection well in Kapuk, West Jakarta, has been proven to help prevent land levels from dropping further in the area, Arifin said without going into detail. (yns)