Thanks to the maintained Meratus, HST escapes water crisis

Barabai, S Kalimantan (ANTARA) - PDAM HST office and Save Meratus campaign word at the main room. (Antaranews Kalsel/M. Taupik Rahman)

Thank to the maintained Meratus Mountains in its part, Central Hulu Sungai (HST) has escaped water crisis, while other regions have difficulties in getting clean water during the dry season.

Even, the government owned water company PDAM HST has the better quality of its production to compare with outside the dry season.

Head Planning of PDAM HST Firnadi stated, along the drought the company has never found any difficulties in getting raw water. The supply stayed normal as usual.

On the opposite, he said, in rainy season when water overflow and flooding comes the production declines due to raw water mixed with mud.
 
"Unlike the dry season, the water source can still be relied on, even the cost of production is not the same. In rainy season we use more alum or disinfectant," he remarked.

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The company is recorded to serve 16,742 customers in the last August 2019. But interestingly the demand for new customer installation was increasing in dry season. 

"In average the demand per month is only 50, but now out of target to reach 124 new installation," Firnadi told.

At present, the PDAM HST source of raw water comes from the River of Batang Alai, Hantakan dan Haruyan. While water management intsallation scatter in six sub-districts, each has different capasity of distribution: Barabai 70 liter per second, Batu Benawa 30 liter, Birayang 40 liter. While Pantai Hambawang and Haruyan each 30 liter per second.



Firnadi hoped, the nature of Meratus Mountains to keep being maintained with no activity of mining in order the source of raw water
in Batang Alai, Hantakan, and Haruyan not to be polluted and the will be no story of water crisis in HST.