Students learn to conserve water

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

After pouring water taken from Cibubur lake in East Jakarta into a plastic container, Tommy Pratama, a second-year student of state Junior High School (SMPN) No. 233 quickly took out equipment to measure its acidity.

After placing the equipment in the container, Tommy smiled to his friends, who were watching the activity closely.

"It was a very useful experience. We learned how to measure the quality of water. I felt like I was a scientist. It was very fascinating. I even found shrimps in the water sample that I took," Tommy told The Jakarta Post after the activity.

He also said that he now knows that water that was deemed "healthy" should have a certain level of acidity and muddiness, and that water in most of Jakarta's rivers and lakes have long been polluted.

Tommy and 39 colleagues from SMP No. 233 in Cibubur, East Jakarta were participating on Saturday in a series of events held to mark World Water Monitoring Day which falls on Oct. 12.

The activities were organized by the Indonesian Drinking Water Quality Monitoring Forum (FORKAMI) and tap water company PT Thames Pam Jaya and PT Palyja.

Aside from measuring the quality of water, the students also watched a short movie about the importance of preserving and protecting water from pollution.

"I think the groundwater in my house is still unpolluted. That's why I will use it economically, and tell my family to be careful in using it," said Tommy, who lives with his parents in Cibubur.

Dozens of students from 20 elementary schools in Jakarta, joined a drawing competition on water conservation by Cibubur lake earlier on Saturday.

TV actress Marshanda, who was also present, said that an early awareness campaign was necessary so that people would take good care of water resources.

"I am proud to be here. I think this is very positive as young people like me need to understand stuff like this to be able to help preserve water," she said.

FORKAMI Chairman Abdullah Muthalib said that as the condition of groundwater in Jakarta continued to deteriorate year by year, the public at large should take part in maintaining, if not improving, the quality of water.

"Because of the poor condition of water nowadays, it is very expensive to bring it back to a good condition. That's why we need the participation of all quarters in society, including children," he said.

FORKAMI member Job Supangkat said that the results of that day's water quality measurement would be combined with all other measurements across the world and would be announced early in February next year.

"This is an annual event. We hope next year more and more organizations and companies take part in educating young people and children to raise their awareness of the need to conserve water. In fact, we will conduct similar events for high school students," he said.

Public relations manager of PT Thames Pam Jaya Devy A. Yheane said that her company would continue to support efforts to help conserve water in the future.

"We have participated in these kind of events since last year. We have pledged to support similar events next year," she told the Post.

There 13 rivers that runs through Jakarta. According to recent studies conducted by several institutions, including the National Police and the Jakarta Environmental Agency, all the rivers are highly polluted with heavy metals.