Change PDAM Water Pipes, Riau Islands Budget Rp17 Billion In 2023

Illustration (Photo: Doc. Antara)

TANJUNGPINANG - The Department of Public Works, Spatial Planning and Land of the Riau Islands Province (PUPRP Kepri) has budgeted Rp17 billion in 2023 for the replacement of the water pipe for the Tirta Kepri Regional Drinking Water Company (PDAM) in Tanjungpinang City.

"It has been budgeted through the purely Riau Islands 2023 APBD," said Head of the Human Settlements Division of the Riau Islands PUPRP Service, Hendrija, quoted from Antara, Thursday, December 22.

According to him, the replacement of the main pipe is very urgent, considering that it often leaks, causing the distribution of clean water for people in Tanjungpinang to be hampered.

Moreover, he continued, the main pipe, which is located on Jalan DI Pandjaitan, Kilometer 8, has also not been replaced since it was first installed around the 1970s.

Although the substitution of the main pipe has not been fully able to overcome the water leakage rate in Gurindam City, it is at least able to reduce the water leakage rate, which currently reaches 34 percent.

"The old parent chip was dumped and replaced by a new one. The pipe will be shifted from the first one in the middle of the road to the side of the road, so it does not interfere with traffic conditions when there is improvement," said Hendrija.

Hendrija said that to meet the long-term water needs for the people of Bintan Island (Tanjungpinang-Bintan), a budget of around Rp. 1.6 trillion was needed for the construction of a DAM or Busung dam in Bintan Regency.

Then, another budget of around Rp800 billion is needed to replace the new water pipelines that connect the Gesek, Kawal, and Sei Six areas in Bintan Regency.

"However, for the short term a budget of around Rp. 200 billion is needed to optimize the water pipeline in Gesek, Bintan," he said.

Hendrija emphasized that the handling of community water needs will be one of the strategic programs of Riau Islands Governor Ansar Ahmad in 2023.

Clean water is the basic need for the community, especially every year the population is increasing so that the need for water also increases.

"That's why we think about this from now on so that the availability of clean water can balance the pace of population growth and water needs," said Hendrija.