For North Jakartans, water is worth gold

Zakki Hakim, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

"Water is like gold in this neighborhood," said Warid, a resident in Kampung Japat Saleh in Pademangan, North Jakarta.

Warid is among hundreds of residents, who have been experiencing water shortages since the middle of 2001.

The 45-year-old man, who is also the neighborhood unit chief, told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday that most of the time -- both in dry and rainy seasons -- not a drop of water trickled from the pipes to the houses of some 650 families.

Nowadays, water only flows at midnight for an hour in most of the nine neighborhood units (RTs).

But in one unit, RT 06, where 47 families are living, the there has been no water at all since early this month, said the man who has lived in the area since 1960.

"Actually, RT 06 has always had water problems. Last month, we complained directly to the water operator. Then the water flowed for two days. After that, nothing," Warid said.

Residents have to buy water from a water depot, located around one kilometer away from the residential area, or from a door-to- door vendor.

The water depot usually sells a jerry can that holds 20 liters of water for Rp 250 (3 U.S. cents). However, instead of walking and carrying the jerry cans, which are quite heavy, most residents prefer to buy water from the door-to-door vendor.

The water vendors sell one jerry can of water for Rp 1,500, 600 percent more than the depot price.

A family of four needs around 10 jerry cans every twelve hours, said Wardi.

However, the residents were grateful that an instant noodle factory, near the residential area, had helped them by providing clean water every afternoon.

"We don't know whether or not the water is recycled from the production process. We only know that the factory uses it to water the plants around the site. Nevertheless, we need the water," Wardi said.

Moreover, he said that even though the water flowed occasionally and in some houses the faucets were dry, they were still billed as usual by the water company.

The residents understood that they might have to pay a subscriber fee but they objected to paying for water that they did not use.

"No water comes out of my faucet, yet I have to pay the bills, come on!" said Jumana, 43, a housewife who also lives in RT 06.

She said that she understood that there was a severe drought in the country, but it could not be used as an excuse for the failure of the water operator to provide water to the paying customers' houses.

However, after three years of drought she is already used to the water shortage and has learned to live with it.

"Last year we were untouched by the flood. In fact, we never have floods in the area. The place where we are living might be a naturally water resistant area," she said jokingly.

Director of city-owned tap water operator PAM Jaya, Didiet Harijadi, said that the water supply from Jatiluhur reservoir to the capital would probably only last until September.

"The water level in the dam is only 84 meters above sea level. If the water level at Jatiluhur drops to 60 meters, then the supply to Jakarta will be in a affected."