Jakarta Urges Residents to Abandon Groundwater Use

PAM Jaya has once again held the Jakarta Water Hero 2026 event as a form of appreciation for customers and stakeholders supporting the development of piped water services at DKI Jakarta City Hall on Friday (26/6). PAM Jaya President Director Arief Nasrudin said the award, now in its fourth year, recognises customers who contribute to the advancement of clean water services in Jakarta. “This is our appreciation to customers. We want to ensure customers are an important part of PAM Jaya’s development,” Arief said, quoted on Saturday (27/6). According to Arief, Jakarta Water Hero also serves as a momentum to urge the public to stop using groundwater and switch to piped water. PAM Jaya continues to expand its network so that clean, potable-quality water can reach every home in Jakarta. “We continue to maximise clean water services to every home. Hopefully, people will stop using groundwater once the PAM Jaya network is connected,” he stated. PAM Jaya is also expanding access through a new connection programme. Customers in tariff groups 2A1 and 2A2 receive free connections, whilst groups 2A3 and 2A4 benefit from affordable installation fees. In addition to the awards, PAM Jaya distributed 5,000 water tanks to the community to strengthen clean water access and anticipate the impacts of El Niño. Meanwhile, DKI Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung received a MURI record for the transformation of clean water services in Jakarta. “This MURI record is an appreciation. But the most important thing is our commitment to helping citizens in need. That remains PAM Jaya’s main target,” Pramono said. Pramono is optimistic that collaboration between the DKI Provincial Government, the DPRD, and PAM Jaya will accelerate the equitable distribution of clean water services, making residents more comfortable living in Jakarta. He also hopes Jakarta Water Hero will continue to spur improvements in PAM Jaya’s professionalism and service quality to achieve the 100% clean water coverage target by 2029. PAM Jaya can conduct an initial public offering once service coverage reaches 85%, at which point the municipally owned clean water enterprise would have 2.5 million customers. The South Jakarta Water Resources Sub-agency has urged residents to switch to piped water to curb land subsidence, which is occurring at a rate of up to 10 cm per year. Adequate clean water provision is a fundamental requirement if Jakarta is to truly transform into a global city. The DKI Provincial Government has asked several companies to make improvements and has even issued written warnings to building managers still using groundwater. Groundwater consumption patterns on Java Island have exceeded sustainable limits, with the phenomenon no longer considered ordinary usage.