PAM promises tap won't run dry

PAM promises tap won't run dry

JAKARTA (JP): The city-owned water company PAM Jaya yesterday
gave assurances to its customers that there will be no shortages
of tap water supply as the dry season reaches its peak this
month.

Production director Soeharto said PAM Jaya has taken steps to
avoid possible disruptions to its supply of drinking water.

"One of the steps is to increase the supply from the Jatiluhur
Dam up to 20 percent," Soeharto said, adding that this should
prevent any likelihood of shortages.

Jatiluhur, the main source of water for PAM Jaya, supplies
about 30,000 cubic meters of water to the company per month.

As the dry season peaks in September, many have expressed
concern the city water supply. The wells serving many households
relying on ground water are drying up, some reports have
determined.

Soeharto said the dry season has depleted much of the water
from the Ciliwung river, another source of water for the company.

But with the additional supply from Jatiluhur, PAM Jaya should
be able to maintain its regular capacity of supplying 12,535
liters per second throughout the city, he said.

Any disruption to its water supply, he said, could still come
from "non-technical factors" such as pollution, power cuts or
natural disasters.

Given that a pipe installation project linking Tarum Barat and
the Pejompongan water processing center has not yet been
completed, there is a possibility that the tap water supply might
be disrupted.

He said many installations are still prone to disruptions
caused by garbage carried by the flow of water from Jatiluhur dam
into the pipe network.

The new pipe installation project is expected to be completed
early next year and would improve PAM Jaya's services and even
reduce its production costs.

Soeharto said that PAM Jaya still cannot meet the tap water
demand in the city and that many households would have to rely on
groundwater.

He predicted that given the current funds, technology and
management conditions, PAM Jaya would only be able to supply the
entire water needs of Jakartans until 2020.

He said the total demand for tap water in Jakarta is estimated
at 28,000 liter per second, compared to PAM Jaya's capacity of
only 12,500 liter per second.

"There is a possibility that we can fulfill the demand earlier
if we can get more funds, cooperate with private companies in
providing distribution pipes and change the management," he said.
(yns)