Drinking Water Scheme in Surakarta Reduces E. coli and Stunting Risks
Surakarta (ANTARA) – A drinking water scheme initiated by the Coca-Cola Foundation Indonesia (CCFI) in partnership with PDAM Toyo Wening has been identified as a solution to reducing the risk of E. coli contamination and supporting efforts to accelerate the reduction of stunting in Margorejo, Gilingan sub-district, Surakarta, Central Java.
Bayu Tunggul, Wastewater Manager at PDAM Toyo Wening Surakarta, said in Surakarta on Thursday that the quality of shallow-well water commonly relied on by residents in densely populated urban settlements, including Gilingan, is now largely threatened by high levels of E. coli contamination.
“In several parts of Surakarta, it is difficult to access safe drinking water because so many shallow wells are contaminated with E. coli. Gilingan is also a priority area for the Surakarta city government’s stunting intervention,” he said at a media gathering marking the inauguration of a community-based waste-management facility and the Master Meter system.
Bayu explained that providing drinking water that meets health standards is crucial to children’s quality of life and to protecting young children from recurrent infectious diseases that can contribute to stunting.
However, expansion of the regular piped network in densely populated areas such as Margorejo has been held back by administrative and legal requirements, as most residents’ homes are adjacent to land owned by state railway company PT KAI.
Before this innovation was introduced, the local government’s usual response was limited to providing public hydrants, requiring residents to carry water in buckets into their homes.
“With public hydrants, residents have to collect water in buckets for all their daily needs. This does not meet the definition of safe drinking-water access, which should reach inside the home,” Bayu added.
The Master Meter drinking-water scheme enables the main pipe network to distribute water collectively and directly to residents’ homes, with a subsidised low tariff of Rp2,850 per cubic metre.
Coca-Cola Foundation Indonesia chairman Triyono Prijosoesilo said the water-infrastructure intervention in areas with poor sanitation was focused on fulfilling people’s basic right to clean water on a sustainable basis.
Fifty households in Margorejo have benefited from the facility over the past year. They now have a reliable supply of clean water for cooking and daily consumption, an important foundation for successful sanitation and environmental-health programmes.
Triyono expressed hope that residents would make the best use of the water facility and that it would receive full support from the local government. He also said the company, as a government partner, was committed to expanding its programmes and coverage, particularly those related to water security in Indonesia.
“We support this by providing connections to community groups and encouraging those groups to manage the system independently,” he said.