New Rules, Geological Agency Calls 100 Thousand Liters Of Groundwater Users Per Month Mandatory Permit

Illustration. Workers fill clean water sourced from PAM Jaya to jerry cans for sale in the Muara Angke area, Jakarta, Monday, July 2019. (ANTARA-Aprillio A)

JAKARTA - The Geological Agency has a new rule that requires groundwater users to be more than 100 cubic meters or 100,000 liters per month to have a groundwater collection permit. Acting Head of the Geological Agency Muhammad Wafid said that the regulation is an effort by the government to conserve groundwater and ensure future needs. "The conservation of groundwater is for future needs, not only at this time, but future generations are guaranteed accessibility to groundwater for daily needs," he said in a press conference monitored in Jakarta, Monday, November 13, confiscated by Antara. Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Decree Number 291.K/GL.01/MEM.G/2023 concerning Standards for the Implementation of Approval for the Use of Groundwater does not regulate households with the use of question water under 100 cubic meters per month. Wafid said that ordinary households only use 25 to 30 cubic meters of ground water per month, so they do not require permission from the government. Meanwhile, luxury households that have swimming pools can spend more than 100 cubic meters of water per month. "The people who have more wealth using the pool that we ask for approval, because they take from the same location as the wider community used for daily use," said Wafid.

He further advised the public to maximize the use of surface water. If the availability of surface water is limited, groundwater is the last alternative. Wafid gave an example that luxury housing that each house has a swimming pool can cause groundwater to decrease. This will have an impact on normal community housing without any excessive collection. "The more or bigger the take, the more basins from the groundwater surface below will further affect the high groundwater surface in ordinary residential areas," he said.