Banda Aceh Starts Lack Of Clean Water Due To Drought

BANDA ACEH - Regional Drinking Water Company (Perumdam) Tirta Daroy Banda Aceh stated that currently there is a shortage of raw water to process clean water due to the dry season.

"We are currently starting to lack raw water to be processed, because it is a condition of climate change," said Director of Perumdam Tirta Daroy Banda Aceh Novizal Aiyub as reported by ANTARA, Monday, July 24.

The raw water, which is the main source of clean water treatment for Banda Aceh, comes from the Krueng Aceh River, but the river's water discharge continues to decrease day by day, especially when it is hit by the dry season.

Aiyub said that the level of clean water production by Perumdam Tirta Daroy should be at an average of 700 to 800 liters per second if the condition of the raw water is large.

However, in the period since June production began to decrease to 60 percent from normal or only able to process around 480 to 500 liters per second.

"We estimate this condition can last for months, maybe until September 2023," he said.

He explained that water production can still be normal up to 700 liters per second when rising tides. But when it goes down from the afternoon until the morning the next morning, the production can only reach 500 liters per second.

"Starting from finishing Maghrib until that morning, clean water production could drop to 50 percent, so it had an impact on water shortages for Banda Aceh," he said.

Facing this condition, said Aiyub, there are several solutions that can be done, first repairing the rubber dam which has been damaged and is no longer functioning, or making it again.

Because, if the rubber dam functions, it can hold the river water directly down to the sea, so that when the dry season arrives, the raw water is still available, and people do not lack clean water.

"We hope that the support of all parties, especially the River Basin Center or PUPR, can repair or rebuild the rubber dam," he said.

In addition, continued Aiyub, the solution for the community not to lack clean water is to build a shelter in their own home. So that when a similar condition occurs, they still have a backup clean water that can be used.

"Because our only raw water is only from Krueng Aceh. So the short-term solution is to build the rubber dam, and people are more efficient in using water," he said.