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)