Mayoralty ends water shortage

BANJARMASIN, South Sumatra: The mayoralty here has exploited extra drinking water sources to end a water shortage that hits the area almost every year.

The local branch of the state-owned water company has built an installation with a capacity of 500 liters per second. It takes water from the Riam Kanan irrigation canal.

"We can no longer rely on the Martapura and Tabuk rivers for drinking water because the water is salty from excess infusion during dry seasons," company director Soegiyarto told Antara yesterday.

The mayoralty now has three drinking water installations with a combined capacity of about 950 liters per second.

"If they operate at full capacity, they can meet 80 percent of the townspeople's demand for drinking water," he said. (pan)