Providing piped water access to communities normally out of reach of water utilities is one of the great urban water challenges. No matter where you live or what your income, clean water is necessary for good health and well-being.
USAID meets this challenge in Indonesia through the Indonesia Urban Water and Sanitation Hygiene (IUWASH) program, which increases the water access of low-income communities. USAID’s Global Water Coordinator Christian Holmes recently visited and participated in the inauguration of an IUWASH project that will provide water access to four low-income communities.
Providing access to the villages of Pecantingan, Celep, Karanggayam, and Lemahputro in Sidoarjo District requires a communal connection through a master meter. This is a single connection from the local water utility from which the communities (through community groups) develop and manage their neighborhood distribution systems. IUWASH awarded a grant to Spektra, a local non-governmental organization, to implement the water and sanitation projects in the four villages. Spektra also formed the community groups to manage the water distribution in each village.
This approach allows the water utility of Sidoarjo District to provide water to communities that are normally unreachable because the households either lack the appropriate land title or are too poor to afford the cost of the connection. The communal connection will make water accessible and available for as many as1,700 people in about 400 low-income households.
The villages have had a positive response to the long-awaited master meter initiative. Ririn, a resident of Pecantingan Village, said the master meter helped him gain access to clean water, “We are very happy to get new water connections at our homes. Clean water is now available and within reach every time we need it. I used to buy clean water from the water vendor with very expensive price at IDR 3,000 per jerry can. Now that I have been connected to master meter, I only have to spend IDR 16,000 per month," he said.
Comment
Make a general inquiry or suggest an improvement.