Heru Yustanto, Bogor, W – Java. Water levels at the Katulampa Weir, a key monitoring point on the Ciliwung River that flows from Bogor to Jakarta, have dropped to zero for three consecutive days as Indonesia's dry season intensifies, raising concerns over water availability for millions of residents downstream.
Officials said the prolonged lack of rainfall has reduced river flow to one of its lowest levels in recent memory, forcing authorities to carefully manage water distribution between irrigation needs and maintaining the river's flow.
"The water level usually fluctuates between zero and 10 centimeters during the dry season, but for the past three days it has remained at zero," Katulampa Weir officer Muhammad Alwan said on Friday.
The Ciliwung River is a critical water source for parts of West Java and Jakarta, supplying raw water for households, agriculture, and municipal utilities.
To preserve water availability, operators at the Katulampa Weir are diverting around 2,000 liters of water per second to the Kali Baru irrigation canal while releasing about 200 liters per second into the Ciliwung River to keep the river flowing.
Alwan warned that the declining river discharge could affect raw water supplies for Tirta Kahuripan, the regional drinking water utility serving parts of Bogor Regency, including Cibinong and sections of neighboring Depok.
The prolonged low flow is also raising concerns over groundwater availability across Bogor and Jakarta, where residents have begun reporting that wells and other clean water sources are drying up.
"We have already received reports from residents that their clean water sources are starting to dry up," Alwan said.
The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has warned that much of Java is entering the peak of the annual dry season, with below-average rainfall increasing the risk of drought and water shortages in several regions. The latest conditions at Katulampa underscore the growing pressure on water resources as the dry spell continues.