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๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ Indonesia /Environment & Climate

Can Jakarta's Tap Water Be Drunk? PAM JAYA Promotes Water Purifiers to Encourage Drinkability

From Tempo · (13m ago) Indonesian Positive tone

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • PAM JAYA is promoting the use of water purifiers in Jakarta to make tap water drinkable.
  • The initiative aims to change how Jakartans access drinking water, reducing reliance on bottled water.
  • Schools are a key focus, with purifiers installed to encourage students to use reusable bottles and reduce plastic waste.

Jakarta's regional water company, PAM JAYA, is embarking on an ambitious initiative to transform the city's relationship with its tap water. For years, the perception has been that Jakarta's piped water is suitable for cleaning and washing, but not for direct consumption. This ingrained skepticism, stemming from concerns about water quality, aging infrastructure, and public habits, has led to a heavy reliance on bottled water.

However, PAM JAYA is challenging this status quo by implementing advanced water purification systems. These 'water purifiers' act as a crucial secondary treatment stage, ensuring that water, already meeting basic clean water standards, is further refined to be safe and palatable for drinking. Technologies like reverse osmosis and UV sterilization are employed to eliminate contaminants, with rigorous laboratory testing guaranteeing the final output meets drinking water quality standards.

The program's rollout strategically targets public spaces, with schools serving as a primary focus. By installing water purifiers in schools, PAM JAYA aims to foster a new habit among students: carrying and refilling reusable water bottles. This not only promotes healthier hydration but also significantly cuts down on the consumption of single-use plastic bottles, addressing Jakarta's persistent plastic waste problem.

Beyond schools, PAM JAYA plans to extend this approach to government offices and other public facilities. The underlying principle is simple yet impactful: making safe drinking water readily accessible from the tap can drastically reduce the need for costly and environmentally taxing bottled water distribution chains. While the technology is sound, the company acknowledges that the biggest hurdle remains public trust โ€“ a sentiment that PAM JAYA is working diligently to rebuild, one purified glass of water at a time.

Air perpipaan pada dasarnya sudah memenuhi standar air bersih. Dengan pemurnian lanjutan, kualitasnya dapat ditingkatkan hingga layak minum

โ€” Arief NasrudinDirector Utama PAM JAYA explaining the effectiveness of the water purification system.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Tempo in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.