Jasa Tirta proposes new water canal

Jasa Tirta proposes new water canal

JAKARTA (JP): State-owned water company Perum Jasa Tirta II
said on Thursday that it planned to build a new canal worth Rp
2.8 trillion (US$254 million) to supply water to the capital
following the collapse of a portion of one of the banks of the
West Tarum Canal.

"We plan to build a second canal as an alternative to the West
Tarum Canal so as to avoid such an accident happening again," the
firm's technical director, Sri Hernowo, told Antara.

Hernowo said the new canal, which would take 25 years to
complete, would stretch 65 kilometers from the Jatiluhur dam and
reservoir in West Java to Cibubur in East Java.

He said the proposed project, which was expected to supply 40
cubic meters of water per second, was still being discussed with
PT Thames Pam Jaya (TPJ) and PT Pam Lyonnaise Jaya (Palyja), the
two foreign partners of the city-owned tap water utility PD PAM
Jaya.

TPJ, a subsidiary of Britain's Thames Water International,
manages water supplies in the eastern part of Jakarta while
Palyja, a subsidiary of France's Lyonnaise des Eaux, provides the
water supply in the western part of the city.

One of the banks of the West Tarum Canal collapsed at
Kalimalang, East Jakarta two weeks ago, cutting of water to
hundreds of thousands of consumers in Jakarta.

Soenarno, the Director General of Water Resources at the
Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Settlement, admitted
earlier that the 40-years-old West Tarum Canal, which runs for 70
kilometers, had exceeded its anticipated useful life.

"The canal's useful life should have ended 10 years ago as its
(ideal) lifespan is 30 years.

"But it could continue to be used if it was well maintained,"
Soenarno said.

On another occasion, he complained that the company lacked the
funds to cover the maintenance costs for all the canals in the
city.

Separately, city councillors expressed their regrets that
Perum Jasa Tirta had failed to maintain the West Tarum Canal
banks in good order, saying the city had been buying untreated
water from the company at a cost of Rp 20 billion per year.

"The firm and the ministry should be responsible for the canal
bank's collapse," said councillor Ali Imran Husein who, along
with councillors from the City Council's Commission D on
Development Affairs, visited Jatiluhur dam on Thursday.

He also questioned the quality of the untreated water supplied
to the city, saying that 40 percent of the water was turbid and
below the limits for untreated water.

Councillor Bimo Hastoro of the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle said the firm was demanding that the price for untreated
water should be increased to Rp 170 per cubic meter in order to
cover maintenance and ensure water quality.

Bimo, who is also deputy chairman of Commission D, said Perum
Jasa Tirta was currently selling its water at Rp 50 per cubic
meter, far below the price needed to cover maintenance costs.

"But the price can't be increased in the near future as it is
set by law. We don't want to increase water rates (for
customers)," he added.

He suggested that the firm collaborate with the foreign water
companies operating in the city to overcome the problem of water
leakage, which currently reached a level of 40 percent, so as to
gain access to greater funding to improve the water supply.

Councillor Muhayar of the Justice Party revealed on Wednesday
that some 4,729 unauthorized pipe connections had been discovered
in various places here since the beginning of this year.(jun)