Manokwari, Jubi – Residents in Tomu district, Teluk Bintuni regency, Southwest Papua, have traditionally relied on rainwater to meet their daily needs. But after months of prolonged drought, many have been forced to use murky river water instead.

Tomu district comprises seven villages: Tomu, Totitra, Ayot, Ekam, Adu, Rejo Sari and Wanagir.

Umar, a resident of Tomu village, said that during the current dry season, he and other residents have little choice but to collect murky water from a river located between the villages.

"We can only rely on rainwater, and this has been the case for years, since our parents' time," Umar said on Tuesday (18/06/2026).

He said residents also wait for the river to rise with the tide so they can collect water for consumption.

"Some boil it before drinking, while others use it for household needs such as washing," he said.

Umar said residents had become accustomed to the situation. He recalled that BP Tangguh, a natural gas company operating in the area, had previously offered to provide a pump to draw water from the river.

"The company once offered a machine to pump water from the river, but that was in the early days when the gas company first arrived," he said.

Adur village secretary Jumat Kosepa also raised concerns about the lack of clean water available to residents. He said that while Indonesians celebrate independence every year, residents in Tomu had yet to experience what he described as independence from the lack of clean water.

"We have celebrated independence for years, but we have not experienced independence when it comes to access to clean water," said Kosepa, who also chairs the Tomu District Indigenous Community Institution (LMA).

He said residents hoped the government would provide water storage facilities and pipelines to distribute clean water to households. However, such hopes had remained unfulfilled year after year, including during Independence Day celebrations.

According to Kosepa, most residents in Tomu depend heavily on rainwater because there are no water storage facilities or pipelines distributing clean water to their homes.

"Rainwater is used for drinking and cooking, while the river water is not suitable for consumption. River water is only used for washing and bathing," Kosepa said.

Kosepa said the area had been experiencing a prolonged drought for the past three months. Residents have now exhausted their stored rainwater and have been forced to rely on murky river water for consumption despite its poor quality.

"River water is the last resort for us to survive, even though it has been mixed with seawater and river debris. People still collect water from the river because seawater has already entered the river," he said.

He said that although Tomu has drinking water depots selling bottled water, the water used by residents is still drawn from the murky river.

Kosepa also warned that the river could be contaminated by waste at any time because a public waste disposal site is located near the river, about 29 metres from its edge.

He urged the government not to merely celebrate Indonesia's Independence Day with festivities year after year, but to reflect on what independence means for citizens, particularly those living in Tomu district, Teluk Bintuni regency.

Source: https://en.jubi.id/prolonged-drought-leaves-tomu-residents-to-rely-on-murky-river-water