Residents benefit from underground river water

Slamet Susanto, The Jakarta Post, Gunung Kidul | Sat, 03/13/2010 12:28 PM

Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto has inaugurated the underground river water-pumping project, which is expected to provide clean water for 75,000 residents in Gunungkidul, Yogyakarta.

The project, Bribin II, is located in Sindon, Dadapayu, Semanu, Gunungkidul.

The source of water from the underground river, located 104 meters below the ground, is pumped up to the surface by using microhydro power and later channeled to a reservoir on a hill 250 meters high and then distributed to residents’ homes.

Four pipes are used to pump water to the surface, each at a capacity of 80 liters per minute.

The inauguration ceremony on Thursday was marked by switching on the tap that discharged a flow of water in the national colors of respective Indonesian and German flags, as a symbol of cooperation between the two countries in the water-tapping project.

“Thanks to the cooperation between Indonesian and German experts, now Gunungkidul residents, who used to face water shortage during the dry season, can enjoy clean water from the belly of the earth,” Djoko said.

He added the Bribin II project had undergone through an eight-year process.

Launched 2002, the project was suspended due to the earthquake in 2006.

In 2009, after several trials, the workers were able to draw out underground river water to the surface.

The Bribin II project, which is a joint-venture with the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany, is the first of such a project in the world which works by drawing underground river water from a depth of 104 meters without using electricity.

Head of the Serayu-Opak River Area Center Bambang Hargono said his office was only responsible for operating the equipment and extract water to the surface.

“Water distribution and operational expenses are the domain of responsibility of the local tap-water company.”