Tanjungpinang City Government Traces Causes Of Residents' Wells Polluted With Black Oil

Residents' well water in Gang Nila, Jalan Soekarno Hatta, Tanjungpinang Barat District, Tanjungpinang, Riau Islands has been oil-polluted since the end of October 2023. ANTARA/Ogen

TANJUNGPINANG - Tanjungpinang City Government, Riau Islands (Kepri), through the Environment Agency (DLH) investigated the cause of the wells of a number of residents' houses being polluted by oil waste in Gang Nila, Jalan Soekarno Hatta, West Tanjungpinang District.

The head of DLH Tanjungpinang, Riono, said that his party received a report from a resident, Handoko, whose house well was polluted with oil on October 28, 2023.

"At that time, we immediately went down to the reported location of the incident, namely Pak Handoko's house," said Riono, quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, November 7.

Riono admitted that the Tanjungpinang DLH team had taken samples of well water mixed with oil at Handoko's house. From the observations, the color is indeed thick and smells typical of fuel.

However, Riono has not been able to conclude the type of oil because it must be checked in the laboratory. There are approximately nine houses whose well water is mixed with oil, plus mosques and public wells around the Gang Nila housing complex.

"But the worst thing at Mr. Handoko's house, the color of the water is thick and smells of fuel. For other residents' houses, the water smells of fuel, but the color is normal," he said.

In addition, said Riono, his party had also conducted a sweep of the location around the complaint points of the residents of Gang Nila to check whether there were allegations of individuals running illegal fuel businesses. But after checking, it turned out that it wasn't there.

His party has not been able to confirm the alleged leak of fuel tanks at the PT. Bintan Anugerah Bersama (BAB) gas station which is not far from the location where residents' houses were polluted by the oil waste.

"It is necessary to take steps and synergize with all relevant parties to check the content, including the origin of the fuel," said Riono.

Internal meetings and cross-sectoral meetings include involving the PT. Defecation and PT Pertamina has been held to discuss the pollution of oil waste in the wells of residents of Gang Nila.

From that meeting, several agreements were made, among others, to make joint measurements of the volume of fuel at the PT. Defecation at night, where all the tanks will be filled with fuel and then sealed until the morning.

"The next morning the seal was opened again which was witnessed by residents. We will see if the volume of fuel is reduced or not, if it decreases, there may be indications of a tank leak at the PT. Defecation gas station," said Riono.

Then, monitoring wells will be built outside the bunker or fuel tank storage area at the PT. Defecation gas station. So, if there is a leak, it will definitely be visible.

Furthermore, Pertamina will facilitate testing the quality of the residents' wells in Gang Nila. Including the content of fuel that pollutes the houses of residents around it.

"Because DLH's laboratories are limited, Pertamina is ready to help test water and oil, especially since the test is carried out in Bintan which is relatively close and one land area," said Riono.

Head of RT03/RW14, Tanjungpinang Barat Village, Hendra Kusuma, stated that the incident of residents' wells contaminated with fuel waste was the first time this had occurred in 2018.

Residents suspected that the pollution was caused by the leak of the PT gas station tank. A defecation on Jalan Soekarno Hatta which is about 130 meters from the residents' houses. Then the incident was also reported to DLH Tanjungpinang.

"At that time DLH and gas stations checked the field, but they said there was no leakage of fuel tanks," said Hendra.

Hendra said that around the past week, oil waste pollution in the wells of residents of Gang Nila had occurred again. Even the condition is worse than 2018 which only smells of oil, because currently the residents' well water is mixed with blue and thick black.

In fact, according to Hendra, the water that had been contaminated with oil immediately caught fire. So this is also a concern for local residents to catch fire, especially since the area is densely populated.

The residents still use the water for their daily needs by filtering it first, but the aroma can't be lost.

"You can still take a shower. But if you drink it, residents prefer to buy clean water," said Hendra.

Therefore, Hendra hopes that the Tanjungpinang City Government can supply clean water needs for residents of the Nila Gang due to oil pollution in local residents' wells.

He also asked the municipal government to handle the problem of oil pollution so that it does not happen repeatedly.

"Hopefully in the near future there will be results, where the oil waste in the residents' wells will come from," said Hendra.