Drinking water project launched in Tanah Abang

JAKARTA (JP): A drinking water supply plant donated by an Australian-Indonesian joint venture firm, PT Ovelgone Indonesia, was launched on Saturday on Jl. Kebon Kacang in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta.

The firm's managing director, Henk Ovelgone, said the project was aimed at helping provide local residents, drivers of public transportation vehicles and other motorists with healthy drinking water free of charge.

"Our company is pleased to help poor people who need drinking water lighten the burden of their lives," Henk said.

He said the water supply plant was built at a cost of about Rp 20 million by the company in cooperation with water pump producer PT Grundfos Pompa and local residents.

He said the contribution to the project from PT Ovelgone was in the form of a water sterilization unit, while PT Grundfos donated a water pump.

Under the project, the ground water is pumped out into the sterilization unit, he said. "People can directly drink from the tap."

The water sterilization unit, imported from Australia, killed almost all types of bacteria and viruses in the water, he said.

The unit, with the brand name Tanwing, was designed for industry, hotels, offices and schools.

Meanwhile, PT Ovelgone's vice director, Mustofa Beni Chaeroni, said his firm planned to build a similar water supply plant on Jl. Bekasi Raya in East Jakarta.

Mustofa said this water supply system was not suitable in some areas in West and North Jakarta because the ground water there contained too much salt.

He said the Tanwing units, which could process 60,000 liters of drinking water per day, did not alter the makeup of the water, explaining that it just killed bacterias and viruses.

He said the machine only needed 42 watts of electrical power.

Tanah Abang district head Asri Ilyas thanked the firms for providing healthy drinking water for local people.

"I hope the project could be applied in other areas in Central Jakarta as well," Asri said. (jun)