To prevent stunting, the Ministry of Public Works strengthens access to clean water in Sumbawa

The Ministry of Public Works (Kementerian Pekerjaan Umum, PU) is stepping up efforts to increase access to clean drinking water to support stunting prevention programs for young children, particularly in eastern Indonesia. One infrastructural support is the rehabilitation and optimisation of the Pungka Water Treatment Plant (Instalasi Pengolahan Air, IPA Pungka) to support the Semongkat Water Supply System (Sistem Penyediaan Air Minum, SPAM Semongkat) in Sumbawa Regency, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB). ‘Water is a scarce resource; we must use it efficiently to ensure it remains available for future generations. We must not let our descendants face water shortages because we used water wastefully today,’ said Dody, quoted on Tuesday (19 May 2026). The rehabilitation and optimisation of IPA Pungka is undertaken to improve access to safe and sustainable drinking water for communities on Sumbawa Island, particularly in the districts of Sumbawa, Labuhan Badas, Unter Iwes, Moyo Utara, and Moyo Hilir. Optimisation of SPAM Semongkat is considered important to strengthen the institutional capacity of PDAM Batulanteh, Sumbawa Regency, which currently cannot reach all areas due to water supply constraints. The presence of this infrastructure is expected to reduce the community’s dependence on water sources that do not meet eligibility standards. The scope of works for the SPAM Semongkat optimisation includes rehabilitation and optimisations of IPA Pungka with a capacity of 150 litres per second, improvements to reservoirs and internal distribution pipelines, construction of supporting facilities for the IPA, enhancements to mechanical and electrical systems, revitalisation of the main distribution network (Jalur Distribusi Utama, JDU), and the construction of pipe crossing structures. SPAM Semongkat uses raw water from the Semongkat River with a capacity of 165 litres per second. Raw water is conveyed through a gravity transmission system spanning 5 kilometres with a pipe diameter of 16 inches and 11 kilometres with a diameter of 14 inches to the IPA Pungka. The water will then undergo treatment to ensure it meets drinking water standards. From the network, water will be distributed to House Connections (Sambungan Rumah, SR) in the service area. The system is designed to serve 29 villages in five sub-districts with a total of 12,510 existing house connections. Through the IPA Pungka optimisation, the Ministry of Public Works hopes drinking water distribution will be more reliable, water pressure more stable, and service coverage will continue to expand as community needs on Sumbawa Island grow.