Poor people pay more for water

Poor people pay more for water

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Lacking access to clean water in his neighborhood in Rawabuaya
subdistrict, West Jakarta, Sunyoto, 45, has to spend up to 10
percent of his monthly income just to buy water from street
vendors.

Like most of his neighbors, he buys a 20-liter jerry can of
clean water from the vendor every day, which costs him Rp 1,000.
The family use the water only for drinking and cooking.

"We have a well in our rented house, but the color of the
water is yellowish. Although the water ruins our clothes, we have
no choice but to use it for washing. Otherwise, most of our
spending would be for water," the father of two said.

His monthly income is about Rp 500,000 (US$51.30), of which Rp
150,000 must be used for house rent. Luckily, both of his
children are still under five and don't have to go to school.

The water vendors sell piped water supplied by PT Pam
Lyonaisse Jaya (Palyja), the foreign partner of city owned water
operator PT Pam Jaya which serves western part of the city.

Although the street vendors had yet to raise their price
following the water tariff increase in early July, Sunyoto said
he has no other choice but to spend more for water.

"Clean water is vital for my family," he said.

Currently, water supplied by PT Palyja and PT Thames Pam Jaya
(TPJ), another foreign water operator serving the eastern part of
the city, could only cover around 50 percent of clean water
demands in the city.

Despite the poor service, water tariffs will keep on
increasing every six months from 2005 until 2007, as part of
efforts to pay off Pam Jaya's debts to the foreign partners.

The latest increase, effective on July 1, ranges from 5
percent for industrial, commercial premises and high-income area
houses, up to 63 percent for low-income areas.

Previously, poor customers paid Rp 550 per cubic meter of
water (one cubic meter is equal to 1,000 liters). Now they have
to pay Rp 900 per cubic meter.

Although the hike led to public protests for putting heavier
burdens on the poor, what they have to pay was still much cheaper
than what Sunyoto's has to spend on water.

Sunyoto's neighbor Karno, 50, said he could get the same
amount of clean water cheaper because he had the time and a cart
to carry water cans home.

"The water operator sells water for only Rp 500 per 20
liters," he said.

Meanwhile, Mahdi, 50, a resident of Semanan subdistrict, also
in West Jakarta, said that his family used underground water for
all necessities. According to him, the water is of better quality
compared to the underground water of his neighbors.

He feels safe consuming underground water although according
to data from the City Health Agency, 90 percent of underground
water in the city is contaminated by E. coli bacteria, a common
cause of diarrheal diseases.

"Of course the water must be boiled before we drink it. It's
much better than the pricey tap water which has been mixed with
chemical substances," he added.