PAM Jaya, British firm plan project

PAM Jaya, British firm plan project

JAKARTA (JP): The city water company, PAM Jaya, in cooperation with Thames Water International from Britain are to set up a water project worth over Rp 1 trillion (approximately US$457 million).

A two-year study for the proposed project will be carried out shortly, following the recent signing of a memorandum of understanding in London between the British company with its local partner, PT Kekar Plastindo, and the state-owned Jatiluhur Dam Authority Company.

Public Works Minister's Expert Staff for Facility and Infrastructure Investment Study, Soekrisno, said the project is expected to supply drinking water to about 80 percent of the city total population by the year 2005.

"At the moment the water company can only serve 41 percent of the current population of eight million," Soekrisno was quoted by the Kompas daily as saying yesterday.

The total funds needed for the project will be explored by Thames Water International, he said.

PAM Jaya will repay the investment later through rates paid by customers, Soekrisno said.

He said the project will include the construction of a 70- kilometer water distribution network linking Jatiluhur dam and Jakarta.

"There are two alternatives for building the distribution network," he said.

The first choice is an open conduit system, which is much cheaper, and the second choice is pipes, which could be costly, Soekrisno said.

"The piping system is believed to be the most hygienic way for the distribution of the water," he said.

The water used for the project will be from the Jatiluhur dam, which could supply 20 cubic meters of drinking water per second, for the city's residents.

The water is expected to be processed at a purifying unit to be built at the dam, Soekrisno said.

Currently water from the Jatiluhur dam is purified at two installations owned by the water company in Jakarta, in Buaran and Pulogadung, at a rate of 6.2 cubic meters per second. (bsr)