Batam – A Batam company is selling large quantities of water daily to Singapore even though the island is suffering from a water shortage, an Indonesian newspaper has reported.

According to a Media Indonesia report, the drought-induced shortage in Batam has become so bad that several areas have had their supplies disrupted in the past few months and many factories could fold if the problem was not resolved.

The Indonesian newspaper said in its report last week that despite the problems faced by local residents and businesses, Pertamina Tongkang (PTK), an oil company in Batam, was selling thousands of tonnes of treated water to Singapore every day.

"At least 10 barges with a capacity of 1,000 tonnes operate every day supplying water to foreign vessels in Singapore waters," said its source at PTK.

Mr Eddy Wahyudi, the technical manager for PT Adhya Tirta Batam (PT ATB), a water treatment consortium in Batam, acknowledged that his company sold large quantities of water to PTK but said he did not know if the oil company in turn sold the treated water to Singapore.

He noted, however, that water sold to foreign vessels fetched a higher price – at 3,300 rupiah (S1.80) per cubic metre as against 500 rupiah for domestic consumption.

Media Indonesia said a source at a shipping company disclosed that it bought water from PTK at S$3 a tonne and sold it to Singapore at S$10 to S$20 a tonne.

Such sales have resulted in Batam consumers becoming restive in view of the water shortage, the report added.

Normally, Batam requires at least 750 litres per second. The present supply is less than 600 litres per second, it added.