PDAM water Suction Blocked by High Sludge

By Hasan Zainuddin

Banjarmasin , South Kalimantan ( Antaranews ) - Regional Water Company ( PDAM ) Bandarmasih Banjarmasin face obstacles in its operation caused by Martapura River high sedimentation that it difficult in obtaining raw water.

"When the dry season comes, the water is difficult to siphon off because of thick mud block," Director of Operations taps Bandarmasih, Yuda Ahmadi, told reporters here on Sunday.

The location of the raw water intake area is located in the village of Sungai Tabuk, Banjar District.

According to Yuda, the high silt in the face of the current intake taps when drought became operational constraints for the intake with a capacity of 1,700 liters per second.

Whereas the raw water of the area is the source to which taps Bandarmasih serves about 98 percent of the city area or 147,000 customers.

He said it plan to dredge sludge in the intake area until the river has sufficient depth for the raw water suction.

"We'll probably do the dredging of about a few hundred feet in the river. Depending on availability of funds, " said Yuda.

According to him the high sedimentation of Martapura River proved that the natural areas along rivers that disgorge into Meratus has been damaged by deforestation.

As water catchment areas, he added, deforestation resulting in erosion. Mud in the land that is easy to get carried away of rain then fell into the river and flows to downstream areas including the Tabuk River intake.

"Therefore, there is no other option for reducing sludge than by rehabilitating Meratus forests as backup storage locations for clean water," said Yuda.

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