Arya News - In Kapuk Muara, a densely populated neighborhood in North Jakarta’s Penjaringan district, dozens of residents have spent nearly a month relying on water sold in blue plastic barrels after pipeline leaks left their tap water unsafe for use or consumption.
JAKARTA – For many Jakartans, access to clean and affordable water remains elusive, even for those already connected to the piped network operated by the city-owned tap water company PAM Jaya.
In Kapuk Muara, a densely populated neighborhood in North Jakarta’s Penjaringan district, dozens of residents have spent nearly a month relying on water sold in blue plastic barrels after pipeline leaks left their tap water unsafe for use or consumption.
With no resolution in sight, residents have had to collectively rent water trucks from private suppliers, paying up to Rp 20,000 (US$1.23) per household each day.
For Dewi Lestari, 37, this situation is all too familiar. Piped water in her area is often disrupted by either temporary or prolonged shutoffs.
While she owns a groundwater well, the water is murky and salty, a common issue in Jakarta’s northern coastal zones, forcing her to spend at least Rp 14,000 daily on two gallons of clean water.
“We only use the groundwater as a last resort,” Dewi told The Jakarta Post . “It gives us itchy skin. I’m sure it’s even more dangerous to drink.”
Read also: Fenced off from sea: North Jakartans watch coastline slip away
Another resident, Romlah, voiced frustration over the prolonged delays in pipeline repairs. “At first, I thought it was a small glitch. But it’s been weeks. These leaks are draining our wallets.”
PAM Jaya first installed water piping in the area in 2017 following high public demand.
President director Arief Nasrudin said on Monday that pipe renovation is underway and expected to conclude in the next three weeks. Temporary water tanks have also been deployed to the affected residents, he added.
Demanding affordable water
But Jakarta’s water challenges extend beyond infrastructure breakdowns.
On Monday, hundreds of residents from low-cost apartments (rusun) staged a protest outside City Hall, decrying soaring water prices under the 2024 Gubernatorial Decree on PAM Jaya’s tariff structure.
Protesters claimed that the new pricing unfairly places rusun residents, most of whom are from low-income backgrounds, in the higher billing tier, with rates ranging from Rp 12,500 to Rp 21,500 per cubic meter.
They demanded reclassification into a lower tier, where water costs up to Rp 7,500 per cubic meter.
“We’ve complained about this issue for a long time, but the administration continues to turn a blind eye,” said Adjit Lauhatta, chair of the Association of Indonesian Rusun Occupants (P3RSI), which led the rally.
PAM Jaya spokesperson Gatra Vaganza said that the company had signed an MoU with P3RSI in April, pledging more equitable water billing for rusun tenants.
Read also: Deadly Bukit Duri fire exposes Jakarta’s ongoing electrical hazards
Right, not commodity
Currently, PAM Jaya’s network covers around 73 percent of Jakarta households, with the goal of reaching full coverage by 2029.
Most of Jakarta’s water supply, 82 percent, is sourced from West Java’s Jatiluhur Dam, while the rest comes from Banten and rivers within the capital such as Pesanggrahan and Krukut.
“We are working to build more infrastructures to add the capacity of our raw-water supply,” Gatra said on Tuesday.
Still, activists argue that achieving universal access requires more than infrastructure expansion.
There should also be a firm commitment from the government to recognizing access to clean water as a fundamental human right, said Sigit Budiono, a research and campaign officer at the People’s Coalition for the Right to Water (KRuHA).
He argued that Jakarta’s ongoing water issues highlight the urgency to avoid policies that unfairly commercialize water, particularly for vulnerable households, warning that doing otherwise could worsen sanitation conditions across the city.
“There has been discrimination in access to clean water, especially against those living in slums and coastal areas,” Sigit told the Post on Monday.