Residents ask city administration not to increase water rates

JAKARTA (JP): Citing the poor quality of tap water in the area, residents of Cengkareng Timur subdistrict in West Jakarta asked the city administration on Saturday not to raise the water rates.

"The water is very turbid and there's lots of water lice in it. My children have also come down with allergic skin reactions because of it.

"The administration should first improve the quality of the water before it raises the rates," Sri Rustini, a 37-year-old housewife, told visiting officials from the PT PAM Lyonnaise Jaya (Palyja) water utility.

Dedi Supardi, head of the RW 7 community unit of Cengkareng Timur subdistrict, said that he had received many complaints of such skin diseases.

Robert Sitorus, head of Palyja's West Jakarta operations, told locals that his office would continue to improve water quality.

He said PT Palyja had targeted the signing up of 20,000 customers in Cengkareng Timur, Kapuk, and Pedongkelan subdistricts within two years of the commencement of its operations in these areas in June 1999.

"We've got 12,000 customers, already. Hopefully, we can get the remaining 8,000 customers before the end of this year," Robert said.

Palyja plans to invest more than Rp 100 billion (US$10.5 million) this year for the improvement of water quality, as well as the renovation and the extension of the water distribution system.

Under its contract, which started in 1997, Palyja supplies tap water to the western part of Jakarta, serving some 210,000 customers, while the British-based Thames Pam Jaya (TPJ) water utility serves some 300,000 customers in the eastern part of the city.

Despite the poor water quality, locals expressed their gratitude as they have been enjoying cheaper water rates since August of last year.

"Previously, we had to pay Rp 90,000 per month for water. Now, we pay about Rp 30,000 per month," Dedi said.

The proposed water rates hike divides water consumers into seven groups. The first, comprising charities and places of worship, will face an average increase of 6.67 percent.

The second group, including government hospitals and "very simple" households and apartments, as well as gas stations, will be charged with a 6.04 percent increase.

The third group, comprising "simple" households and apartments, will see their rates increase by 14.83 percent.

Meanwhile, "medium" households and apartments, the fourth group, will have to pay an average increase of 30.32 percent.

The fifth group, which is to pay an average increase of 43.09 percent, covers "luxury" houses, embassies, government offices, private institutes, colleges and universities, the military, small businesses, luxury apartments, restaurants and private hospitals.

A hike of 42.47 percent is proposed for the sixth group, comprising star-rated hotels, nightclubs, banks, service stations, high-rise buildings, factories and the vast Ancol recreational park and real estate complex in North Jakarta.

Meanwhile, the Tanjung Priok seaport operator (which belongs to the special seventh category) will face an increase of 34.62 percent.

Residents of the Cengkareng Timur area, which belongs to the second group, will have to pay Rp 400 per cubic meter of water compared to the present Rp 375. The last hike, of 25 percent, was imposed in 1998. (04)