Minister Basuki Calls The High Level Of Drinking Water Leaks

JAKARTA - Minister of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Basuki Hadimuljono said the leakage rate of piped drinking water (NRW) was still high due to technical and administrative problems.

Leaks or water loss itself are one of the problems still faced in the scope of drinking water supply where the government targets a decrease in the number of NRW to a level of 25 percent by 2024.

"The loss of drinking water, both technical and administrative, is still 40 percent on average," said PUPR Minister Basuki Hadimuljono at the Indonesia Water Forum 2022 in Jakarta, Wednesday, October 5.

Although it looks technical, he said, the piped drinking water leak was also caused by administrative problems. He even mentioned that the problem included one of the concerns of having a company inside the company.

"I know from my father first. Sometimes there are companies in the company. That used to be my father's. So I knew exactly from the start. Those are things that need to be disciplined. That's where the source of NRW is," said Minister Basuki, whose father is a PDAM Director in Semarang.

The Minister of PUPR also encouraged PDAM to be able to reduce NRW to below 25-30 percent. He promised to provide additional infrastructure needed by PDAM in return.

"I will help with the additional infrastructure program, but you are responsible for controlling water loss," he said as quoted by Antara.

Chairman of the Association of Indonesian Drinking Water Companies (Perpamsi) Lalu Ahmad Zaini revealed that the high level of NRW is still one of the problems faced by drinking water companies in the country.

"The main problem of drinking water is that the coverage is still low, the leak is still high, HR is still low, including alternative financing," he said.

Then will continue to strive to collect data on the problems that are still being faced and potential that can be utilized. The data will later be consulted with the government in order to find a solution so that the provision of drinking water can be met according to the target.

"The members of the Perpamsi are all PDAM in Indonesia, the number is 440 PDAM, but indeed 60 percent of the conditions are'sick'. They have not cost recovery, meaning that the applicable tariff has not been able to finance him. Our job is to collaborate, including with the government to be able to solve this," said Lalu Ahmad, who is also the President Director of PDAM Giri Win Mataram.