Detergent level in water manageable: Supplier

JAKARTA (JP): A tap water company admitted Thursday that its raw water had become contaminated with detergent chemicals, but assured that the pollution was still within a tolerable level.

"Our problem is turbidity, not detergent fusion. Detergent levels in our raw supplies can still be managed," the city's foreign partner water firm PT Pam Lyonaisse Jaya (Palyja)'s spokeswoman Maria Sidabutar said.

She told reporters that the company's raw water, taken from the Jatiluhur dam in West Java, was very muddy at times, especially in the rainy season, but it was still under control.

She was commenting on a report that raw water used by tap water firms across the country, including city tap water firm PAM Jaya, was believed to have been contaminated by a detergent fusion.

Detergent fusion, according to a report based on a study conducted by the University of Indonesia, is carcinogenic, meaning it could cause cancer if it remains in the human body for an extended period.

The study suggested that detergent had contaminated well water and raw water due to a large increase in the use of detergent products, such as soaps and shampoo.

It is believed that no tap water firms here have special equipment to break down the detergent fusion as the machinery is very expensive.

"So far, we don't know the name of the equipment," she said.

Maria revealed that her company has implemented a standard way of breaking down the detergent fusion, which involves adding active carbon powder when processing its raw water in the company's water installations.

"Our water production still complies with the standards for clean water set by the Ministry of Health. It is tested continually," she said.

She said that every month the company tested its water at 221 points in the city, but admitted that it was just a general test, not specifically aimed at testing detergent levels.

Meanwhile, city administration spokesman Muhayat could only respond to the problem by alleging that the study could have been sponsored by producers of a special machine, claiming that it could break down detergent fusion.

"I don't know whether a producer of the machine was behind the study," Muhayat said jokingly, adding that many studies were believed to be sponsored by certain products.

Palyja, a subsidiary of French Lyonnaisse des Eaux, was appointed to manage customers in the eastern part of Jakarta. It manages three water installations in Penjernihan, Central Jakarta, Pulo Gadung and Buaran in East Jakarta.

To manage customers in the western part of Jakarta, the administration appointed PT Thames Pam Jaya, a subsidiary of British Thames Water International.

Most raw water supplied to customers in the western part of Jakarta was taken from Cisadane river, Tangerang, Banten. Both Palyja and TPJ have more than 600,000 customers. (jun)