Lake Toba gets new sewage system

MEDAN, North Sumatra: Lake Toba tourist resort in North Sumatra now has a safe and efficient sewage system to handle waste from households, restaurants and hotels, an official said on Friday.

Idris Lubis, head of the provincial human settlement office, said on Friday the Rp 11.3 billion sewage system was officially handed over to the local administration by Minister of Settlement and Regional Development Erna Witoelar, on April 13.

Called the conventional sewage system, it uses aerated lagoon technology. "The lagoon serves as a pool for discharge from houses, hotels and restaurants," Idris said.

The system, with 13,257 meters of pipes, covers 41 hectares, he said.

The sewage system is operated by the province-owned tap water company PDAM. It charges between Rp 4,000 and Rp 40,000 to each household, hotel and restaurant every month.

The construction of the system started in 1994 and was funded by World Bank and Japanese Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund (OECF) loans. (39/sur)