Water, God's gift the poor struggle for

Damar Harsanto and Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

You may live in a billion-dollar house a la Bill Gates, with all the latest technological gadgets that leave your neighbors green with envy. Only, there's one problem: There's no reliable, clean water supply.

I bet you would want to exchange all those hi-tech gadgets for constant running water. Although we can live without modern equipment, even electricity, we cannot exist without water, an essential item.

Water, just like air, is a gift from God to all. Unfortunately for many, only the rich have access to a clean water supply while the poor must struggle for it.

Take Jakarta for example. Piped water, which is expected to supply Jakartans with cheap and clean water, reaches only half of the city's 12 million population. Compare highly populated or slum areas with real estate complexes to see the difference.

At East Jakarta's Mester Jatinegara market, Trimuljatno, 58, a small-scale vendor of noodle soup and meat balls, admitted she faced many problems related to clean water supply, vital for her business.

Though her 12-square-meter stall is connected to piped water and there is a groundwater well, she simply cannot rely on them.

"Piped water? Oh, come on -- we can't rely on it! The quality is very poor. Besides being cloudy and smelly, it flows just like drops of urine, frankly speaking," said Trimuljatno.

So, how about groundwater ?

"You see, the market area is packed with shophouses, which, of course, simply means that the wells or water sources are located close to the sewers, so the water just isn't potable," said Trimuljatno.

Every day she has to buy at least 10 buckets of water from private vendors at a cost of Rp 20,000, or Rp 2,000 (22 U.S. cents) per bucket. "We have to spend more than Rp 600,000 per month on water," Trimuljatno added.

Trimuljatno's monthly water expenses are almost the same as the minimum salary of workers in Jakarta, which stands at Rp 629,000.

Apart from that, Trimuljatno must contribute Rp 50,000 per month to a friend who owns a water pump near her stall, as she often asks for water if her supply is interrupted.

Of course, Trimuljatno said, such a whopping amount spent on clean water placed a really heavy burden on her business, struggling to survive after the prolonged economic crisis.

"I've yet to mention the four gallons at least per week of bottled water for drinking and cooking," said Trimuljatno, wary of consuming contaminated water that could harm her family.

Hidayat, a street hawker who lives in Tanah Sereal, West Jakarta, said he had his own trick to deal with his daily water problem.

"I use groundwater from a manual pump for washing clothes and bathing after I've stored it for several days to allow silt and other solid substances to settle," said Hidayat.

For drinking, Hidayat said he had to buy a bucket of water for a week's use, which means he spends at least Rp 8,000 per month on clean water. "You've got to have a few tricks up your sleeve to survive, right?" he said.

Trimuljatno and Hidayat are just two Jakartans that do not have access to a cheap, clean water supply. They have no other choice but to accept the situation.

They hold out little hope that piped water companies will provide them with cheap and clean water.

Jakarta's water supply is now provided by two water firms, Suez-Lyonnaise and Thames Water, plus a number of local private vendors selling water in buckets, and bottled water companies.

The better-off have no such problems.

Melda Sari, 28, a housewife who has lived in the upmarket, Pondok Indah housing complex, South Jakarta, for over seven years, said she was quite satisfied with her piped water supply.

"We receive a 24-hour piped water supply most of the time and the quality is good for bathing, cooking and washing," she said.

For drinking, though, she prefers to buy bottled drinking water because of its guaranteed, high quality.

"Therefore, water supply is not really an issue for us ..."

However, she acknowledged that sometimes she used her groundwater pump for washing and bathing to minimize her water expenditure. She had a pump installed before her house was supplied by the piped water company.

Susan, another housewife, agreed with Melda.

"I use piped water for drinking, washing, cooking and bathing, without experiencing trouble most of the time," she said. "I'm glad that the piped water here is good and has no smell, unlike the water in other parts of Jakarta."

Melda said she spent Rp 100,000 to Rp 200,000 per month on water, whereas Susan spent less than Rp 100,000.

This means those on low incomes, such as Trimuljatno and Hidayat, end up paying far more for their water than the better- off, like Melda Sari and Susan who, ironically, can afford to pay more.

The inequalities in Jakarta's water supply highlight a huge problem related to the nation's clean water supply, an issue that was revealed in the country report for the third World Water Forum (WWF) which starts today in Japan.

The report said at least 80 percent of the country's 215 million population had no access to piped water.

That is a particularly unimpressive record, as Indonesia has a huge amount of water potentially available, at 13,381 cubic meters per capita per year. This ranks the nation as 58th of 180 countries, according to the latest UN report, published before the WWF.

In comparison, Singapore, with only 149 cubic meters of water per capita per year, has been able to provide potable water for all of its citizens.

Indonesia is at a crossroads on how to provide clean water for all, especially as the government is planning to privatize water management. Many have opposed the plan due to fears that only the wealthy will have access to good water.

One can only hope that the government will be wiser than that so that people like Trimuljatno and Hidayat will have access to a decent water supply, as enjoyed by their richer neighbors, Melda Sari and Susan.