Kali Wonosari Spring: An Oasis Amidst Gunungkidul's Drought

In the hilly area of Duwet Hamlet, Purwodadi Village, Tepus District, Gunungkidul Regency, there is a spring known to locals as thuk Kali Wonosari. The spring area is quite extensive. However, when the dry season arrives, its water flow shrinks drastically until it nearly dries up. The spring is not a source of clear water as often depicted in drinking water advertisements. To the naked eye, the water appears turbid, far from a crystalline impression. Nevertheless, for the surrounding community, this spring is the main pillar of life when drought strikes. Every dry season, the location is always crowded with residents. They come carrying jerry cans and used mineral water gallons to fill and take home. This activity, which has been passed down through generations, is known as ngangsu banyu. In one corner of the spring pool stand two simple bathing cubicles made of cement, without a roof and unpainted. The male and female cubicles are separated only by a wall about two metres high. To bathe, residents must draw water using a bucket tied with a rope to reach the water surface at the bottom of the pool. Although the water is turbid, residents consider the Kali Wonosari spring an oasis amidst the drought. Almost every day, the place is never deserted, especially when the dry season begins to trigger a clean water crisis. Residents are willing to queue to get water. Some modify their motorcycles to transport jerry cans, while others carry gallons using a jarik (long batik cloth), a sight still commonly found in the rural areas of Gunungkidul. Under the shade of ketos, laban, and munggur trees surrounding the pool, Wiwin (30) appeared carrying a used mineral water gallon using a jarik. With careful steps, she descended the cliff towards the water source, then filled the gallon from a small puddle. From between the rocks, water flowed slowly through a split bamboo used as a simple channel. “It has been like this since the time of our ancestors, residents here ngangsu banyu because every dry season water is always difficult to get,” said Wiwin while tightening the jarik wrapped around her body. Since May, when her residence began to run short of water, Wiwin has been going back and forth four to five times a day from home to the Kali Wonosari spring to fetch water. The spring is about two kilometres from her home. Usually, she leaves at 5 a.m. WIB before starting her daily activities. The water she carries is used for cooking and meeting household needs. “Almost every day I carry jerry cans and used mineral water gallons, going up and down here to meet the water needs at home,” she said. If the water supply at home runs low, Wiwin also often comes at night to fetch water. Another resident of Duwet Hamlet, Wahyu (34), also depends on the spring water for his family’s needs. He takes turns queuing with other residents while carrying two jerry cans, each with a capacity of 30 litres. “I bring two jerry cans, transported using a motorcycle whose rear has been modified,” he said. According to Wahyu, the ngangsu banyu tradition is only practised during the dry season, especially when drought hits. During the rainy season, residents’ water needs are generally met through rainwater harvesting tanks owned by almost every household. Most villages in Tepus District feel the impact of drought every dry season. Residents utilise the remaining springs before they completely dry up. In several areas, the network of the Regional Drinking Water Company (PDAM) has also not yet reached all settlements. Some residents eventually choose to buy clean water from tanker truck service providers. “Even then, you have to queue. The waiting time can be up to two weeks,” said Wiwin. Because of this, although it appears turbid, the water from the Kali Wonosari spring remains a saviour for residents. Before consumption, the water is first boiled and filtered to reduce sediment. “Later, around August to September, the number of residents fetching water will increase, while the water flow will actually decrease,” she said. The Gunungkidul Regency Government, through the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), continues to work to address the impacts of drought occurring in several areas. Head of BPBD Gunungkidul Purwono said that to date, his agency has distributed 636,000 litres of clean water to various affected areas. “That is just from BPBD. Water distribution is also carried out by each kapanewon government, but we have not yet received all the data,” he said. Kapanewon is the term for a district-level area in the Special Region of Yogyakarta. According to Purwono, Tepus District is the area most affected by drought, followed by Rongkop District. Specifically in Tepus, BPBD has distributed 40 tanks of clean water and is currently awaiting additional proposals for further distribution. “We are still waiting for proposals from Tepus,” he said. He explained that the drought in Gunungkidul is influenced by the topographical conditions of the karst hills, which have very few surface springs. In addition, the service coverage of PDAM in several remote areas also does not routinely meet the community’s daily water needs. Meanwhile, Head of Social Services for the Tepus District Government Sukisno said his office had distributed clean water assistance using the district budget to three villages, namely Purwodadi, Sidoharjo, and Tepus, totalling 100 water tanks. “We have already dropped clean water in Purwodadi Village,” he said. He confirmed that residents of Duwet Hamlet, Purwodadi Village, are beginning to experience drought and rely on the Kali Wonosari spring as a water source. However, the district government cannot yet confirm whether the spring will be able to last throughout the dry season.