'We buy dirty water and its expensive too'

The city-owned tap water company PDAM Jaya has had many years of experience in managing tap water. But residents here still grumble about its services. They told The Jakarta Post that the the quality of the water is not good and the supply is poor.

Yose, 30, owns a small business. He resides in Kayu Jati, East Jakarta with his wife. He has been living in the city for five years:

In my opinion, the city-owned tap water company is not at all reliable.

Many customers complain about the water quality as it is not potable. Customers often need to filter the tap water to remove sediment.

Worse still, it often does not flow well. When heavy rain occurs it is mixed with mud. So, how could I say the tap water company is reliable?

It'd be better to change the company' name from state-owned potable water company to just state-owned water company.

I prefer ground water as it is naturally filtered.

Adwin, 30, is an accounting clerk in a private construction company. He has been living in Pulomas, East Jakarta for five years:

I live in a rented house which relies on PDAM Jaya to supply water for our daily needs.

I have never really paid attention to the condition of the tap water here. The most important thing for me is that I can use the water to drink, to bathe and to wash clothes. That's all.

Therefore, water quality is not a primary consideration.

Despite the poor water quality and service that others complain of, I prefer to use water from PDAM Jaya to ground water, because the ground water in Pulomas is very brackish and sticky.

Rini, 45, is an employee at the finance ministry. She resides in Pulomas, East Jakarta with her husband and three children. She moved to Jakarta four years ago from Palembang, South Sumatra:

I have no problem so far dealing with the city-owned tap water company.

I only use tap water for drinking and cooking. So, I just spend about Rp 10,000 a month.

To bathe and wash clothes we use ground water from a well in our house, despite the fact that it tastes brackish. But, it's all right for us.

The only thing I am critical of is the billing system. It is not good at all due to the poor recording system. I have, on occasion complained when I received a bill for the previous year that I had already paid.

Luckily I always keep the receipts. I cannot imagine what would have happened if I didn't have proof of payment.

Bambang Budi S., 36, is a public relations officer in a noted organization in Jakarta. He resides in Cilandak, South Jakarta with his wife. He came to Jakarta 10 years ago from Surakarta, Central Java:

I must say that the water and the service provided by PAM Jaya is poor. We buy dirty water at expensive rates.

The tap water processing is disgusting since it is derived from dirty and contaminated river water. Frankly, I don't have a favorable image of PDAM Jaya.

Their bad image sometimes affects consumer' behavior. Well, I have to admit that I don't trust the quality of water provided by PDAM Jaya. Isn't the fact that people generally filter the tap water proof that they don't trust it?.

I think the company needs to provide more information to the public about the tap water. In addition, the company should be open to complaints and accommodate the complaints in an effort to develop two-way communication between the producer and consumer.

Otherwise, public distrust will worsen. Compared to other cities, Jakarta has not provided quality, reliable tap water services.