Adi Warsono, Jakarta – Directorate General of Human Settlements of the PUPR Ministry recorded that PAM (Water Utility Company) water service only reached 26% of Bekasi residents.
"Quality wise, only 4.18% of the water received by PAM customers in Bekasi is in top quality," said Human Settlements DG Diana Kusumastuti in Bekasi last Monday.
Diana explained that Bekasi residents require a significant amount of water supplies. However, the diminishing quantity of water in the Bekasi River due to long drought caused Bekasi to lack raw water to be processed.
Additionally, the river has recently been polluted, causing the regional public companies Tirta Patriot and Tirta Bhagasasi unable to produce water at maximum capacity. "The raw water in Bekasi river is [polluted]. The quality of the water is not good and needs to be improved," Diana said.
Bekasi city and regency governments are trying to develop a water piping channel in Kalimalang to be processed as clean water. The project garnered the support from PUPR Ministry with a budget of Rp35 billion. Tirta Patriot and Tirta Bhagasasi will also utilize this channel as their source of raw water.
"So, there will be an additional supply from the Jatiluhur Drinking Water Supply System through the Kalimalang channel which amounts to 300 liters per second and the Mayor will later add more to the Bekasi City water service," Diana concluded.