Expert warns people about contaminated tap water
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
An expert warned on Monday that tap water might not be safe to drink, even after it has been boiled.
"The public must be careful in consuming tap water as the conventional filtering fails to screen micro pollutants and disease-causing bacteria found in the severely contaminated river water used as raw water by water companies," Mochamad Ali, a hydrology expert of the Ministry of Resettlement and Regional Infrastructure, told The Jakarta Post on Monday.
The standard practice used in water treatment, that of adding chlorine to water polluted by detergent or pesticides, Ali revealed, could form a fusion of a new chemical compound believed to be carcinogenic.
A study conducted by the University of Indonesia last year suggested that detergents were among the pollutants that contaminated well water and raw water used by tap water firms across the country, including state-owned water supplier PAM Jaya, due to a large increase in the use of detergents, such as soap and shampoo.
In its 1990 survey, the Indonesian Consumers Foundation found that Jakarta tap water contained 0.0024 ppm of mercury, considerably higher than the health ministry standard of 0.001.
Long-term exposure to heavy metal pollutants, existing in the air and water, is not tangible but leads to health problems affecting the nervous system, organs, creating muscle pain, reducing intelligence and triggering chronic fatigue syndrome.
Studies on minerals show that mercury can cause mental retardation, gait and visual impairment. Abnormal lead levels are associated with a lack of attention, increased impulsiveness, aggression and erratic behavior; while aluminum intoxication may contribute to hyperactivity.
Meanwhile, Kosasih Wirahadikusuma, head of the Regional Environmental Impact Management Agency pointed to the absence of a sewerage system to manage household and industrial waste in Jakarta.
"The water will always be contaminated by hazardous substances unless the city administration constructs a sewerage system," said Kosasih.
Kosasih advised people to regularly check their water to ensure its safety.
"Just come to my laboratory in Casablanca, in South Jakarta. It's free of charge," Kosasih said.
Water testing is also available at the laboratory of state- owned surveyor Sucofindo on Jl. Arteri Tol Cibitung, Bekasi.
Separately, Marius Wijajarto, a medical doctor who is also chairman of the Indonesia Health Consumers' Empowerment Foundation, warned that regular consumption of water contaminated by E. coli bacteria or heavy metal substances could have a lethal impact, especially on children,
Marius said E-coli bacteria could induce severe diarrhea and other gastric problems that may lead to death, while heavy metal substances could also cause serious kidney trouble.
A recent study of the Bogor Institute of Agriculture shows that 90 percent of wells in Jakarta have been contaminated by E. coli bacteria.
Ahmad Safrudin of the Jakarta Chapter of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) said people must ensure that the water they consumed was potable and safe by using reliable filters.
"The use of filters is highly recommended given that most water in Jakarta has been contaminated by hazardous substances and pollutants," he said.
Ahmad suggested that people dig their own wells deeper to obtain relatively safer ground water which was less contaminated than that of shallow wells exposed to household and industrial waste.
He also recommended a regular laboratory test of well water to check whether or not substances found in the ground water were hazardous.