Villagers in Tautpah, North Central Timor, Gain Abundant Clean Water

For many Indonesians, turning on a clean water tap is a simple matter. However, for the residents of Tautpah Village in South Biboki Subdistrict, North Central Timor Regency, obtaining clean water has been an exhausting struggle for years.

To fetch water, villagers had to walk long distances multiple times each day. Much time and energy were spent just to meet household water needs.

Tautpah Village has a population of 1,211 people spread across 302 households. Only one hamlet and parts of another have access to clean water, serving about 536 people or 44.26% of the total population. Meanwhile, 675 people or 55.74% others still lack adequate access to clean water.

Change began on 12 January 2026. Solar Chapter, together with the Tautpah Village community, the Edwint & Beatrice Foundation, and Cikarang Listrindo, successfully built a solar-powered clean water supply system utilising the Sunina Spring as the main source, which has a flow rate of 1.25 litres per second.

The system is designed to meet the community’s water needs up to around 40,500 litres per day.

The infrastructure built includes the installation of a solar-powered pump, 10 solar panels, and a water distribution network reaching previously unserved areas. Through this implementation, 675 people from 127 households now have easier, safer, and more sustainable access to clean water.

Tautpah Village Head, Tarcisius Sako, said he felt moved seeing the water flowing so strongly and filling the reservoir tank in his village.

“Honestly, personally, I have never witnessed anything like this before. As a leader, I feel very moved seeing how much water is now flowing and filling the reservoir tank. This water has truly quenched the thirst of our entire community here,” said Tarcisius Sako, in a written statement on Monday (16/3/2026).

In addition to serving residents’ homes, the system also provides water for various important village facilities such as one PAUD (early childhood education centre), one primary school, one church, and one polindes (village maternity post).

The impact is quite significant for daily life. The new clean water access reduces villagers’ round-trip travel distances by up to 95%, from previously 2,166 metres to just 103 metres from home.

From an economic perspective, the community no longer needs to spend extra costs on buying or transporting water. It is estimated that each household can save around Rp 80,000 per month compared to the previous situation.

These savings in time and costs directly impact increased productivity in the agricultural and livestock sectors. Additionally, housewives have more time for additional economic activities, while children can focus more on education without having to help fetch water every day.

Technically, the project realised the installation of a solar-powered pump with a flow capacity of 5.4 cubic metres per hour for 10 solar panels. Additionally, around 1,400 metres of HDPE distribution pipes were installed to expand the clean water service coverage to the community.

Field Coordinator and Facilitator, Deni Nahak, said the construction process took five days, involving the project team and village residents. Various challenges were faced during on-site implementation.

“When moving the panel location, (we) passed through steep areas and it took a long time,” said Deni.

Nevertheless, the village residents’ enthusiasm never waned. From fathers, mothers, to children, they all worked together to help with the construction process.

“After laying the pipes, they (the children) were very enthusiastic about helping to dig and bury the pipes near their school,” he added.

This programme not only focuses on infrastructure development but also ensures long-term sustainability.

A village water committee has been formed, and a Village Head Regulation regarding the management of the clean water system has been established to ensure the system’s operations and maintenance continue to run.

Looking ahead, further development has also been planned. In July 2026, construction of a 50 cubic metre reservoir and expansion of the water distribution network will be carried out.

Meanwhile, Edwint Widjaya from the Edwint & Beatrice Foundation hopes that the Water for Tautpah project can serve as an example of clean water access that is not just temporary.

“Our hope from the Edwint & Beatrice Foundation is that the Water for Tautpah project can be an example that clean water access is not merely temporary aid, but a foundation for a better quality of life for rural communities. In the future, may the Solar Chapter water programme reach more areas and build sustainable impacts for communities in NTT,” said Edwint Widjaya.

Through this programme, Solar Chapter reaffirms its commitment to providing sustainable clean water access solutions using renewable energy. This initiative is expected to strengthen resilience and improve the welfare of communities in remote regions of Indonesia.

With collaboration from various parties, the hope is that clean water not only flows today but also remains available for future generations in Tautpah Village.