Higher fees reduce use of groundwater
JAKARTA (JP): Consumption of artesian-well water in Jakarta has fallen from 3.2 million cubic meters per month to 2.6 million cubic meters following a 150 percent to 250 percent increase last April of artesian-well water fees.
Arifin Akbar, head of the City Mines Office, said that before the increase in fees, artesian-well water consumption tended to increase by 1.5 million cubic meters annually, Antara reported.
Artesian-well water fees, stipulated under Regional Regulation No.4/1994, were intended to encourage customers to use water from the city-owned water company PAM Jaya. In addition, the new rates are to discourage further depletion of groundwater and help preserve groundwater potential and reduce seawater intrusion.
The increase in fees greatly effects artesian well owners, including companies, hotels, restaurants, hospitals and factories.
Governor Surjadi Soedirdja said recently that the potential of groundwater in the city reaches approximately 77 million cubic meters per year.
Out of that 77 million cubic meters, 40 million cubic meters are derived from rain seeping into the ground, with the other 37 million cubic meters coming from the Puncak area south of the city, he said.
According to geological data, rainwater levels in the city reach about 300 million cubic meters annually, of which 260 million cubic meters seep into the upper level of the ground and the other 40 million cubic meters to greater depths.
The sustainable utilization limit of existing water sources is estimated at 42 million per annum.
Arifin said that due to its hydrologically sunken location, sea water intrusion in Jakarta is common.
According to Arifin, there is no need to worry about sea water intrusion. Checking the possibility of the falling level of the groundwater level is more important, he said.
He said that to monitor the groundwater level, his office has built 55 monitoring wells throughout the city.
Arifin reminded Jakartans to help maintain the stable level of groundwater by consuming water as efficiently as possible.
Data from the City Mining Office shows that, in March, there were 2,959 artesian wells in operation throughout the city, with total water consumption reaching more than 2.8 million cubic meters monthly.
Based on the new artesian well fees, a hotel on Jl. M.H. Thamrin in Central Jakarta, which previously paid Rp 8.9 million (US$40,454) for 8,091 cubic meters of water from its artesian wells, is now paying Rp 28.22 million.
If the hotel uses water from PAM Jaya, 8,091 cubic meters of water costs only Rp 25.1 million.
A hospital on Jl. Diponegoro, that consumed 3,510 cubic meters of artesian-well water at a cost of Rp 1.7 million, now has to pay Rp 3.13 million, according to the new rate. The same quantity from PAM Jaya costs only Rp 2.2 million.
Household users of artesian-well water, who were usually freed from paying the first 100 cubic meters, are now required to pay after the first 50 cubic meters. (hhr)