Levies on shallow wells

Levies on shallow wells

From Kompas

After the recent ID raid, regretted by many sides, the Jakarta
Administration is now set to implement a controversial regulation
to impose levies on shallow wells, which form the water source
for a large percentage of the capital city's inhabitants. If
revenues from this prove promising, the regulation will certainly
be applied outside Jakarta.

The reason given for the regulation is ground water
conservation. The question that arises now is whether with the
levies the conservation of shallow well water will be better
because Jakartans will become increasingly economical in the use
of water.

Is this the best solution, based on an honest intention to
protect Jakarta's ground water?

Is it not a subterfuge by the Jakarta Administration to
increase its revenues? I am sure that if economical use of water
is the objective, it will not be accomplished because water is a
daily need. Millions of Jakartans still rely on shallow well
water because they do not trust the city water company to meet
their clean water requirements.

What is the percentage of household waste water taken from the
ground against the reduction of Jakarta's ground water quantity?
What is the share of household waste water which cannot be
absorbed by the ground because it is channeled via open drains to
rivers and the sea?

Is the percentage so critical as to necessitate this new
regulation? If so, perhaps it would be necessary to make an
additional condition on building permit applications.

Levies should be imposed selectively, and preferably not
imposed on houses and buildings which channel their waste water
back into the ground.

AGUS

Bogor, West Java