Jakarta's ground level continues to subside: Jatiluhur I SPAM project construction must be on time
This article has been translated by PwC Indonesia as part of our Indonesia Infrastructure News Service. PwC Indonesia has not checked the accuracy of, and accepts no responsibility for the content.
Investor Daily - Permukaan tanah Jakarta terus turun: Pengerjaan proyek SPAM Jatiluhur I harus tepat waktu
4 October 2023
By: Tri Murti
Jakarta - The construction of Jatiluhur I Regional Drinking Water Provision System (SPAM) is asked to be on time to address the ground level subsidence in Jakarta. Until August 2023, the physical construction progress of Jatiluhur I SPAM has reached 47.47%, and it is set to be completed next year.
Public Works and Housing (PUPR) Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said that the construction of Jatiluhur I Regional SPAM was the government’s effort to improve the environment of Jakarta by reducing the use of ground water to address the ground level subsidence.
“Please complete the project on time so that the people do not have to use ground water to fulfil their drinking water needs. So, the subsidence of the ground level in Jakarta can be reduced,” Minister Basuki said in Jakarta on Tuesday (3/10/2023).
The construction of Jatiluhur I Regional SPAM consists of upstream and downstream systems. The upstream system is constructed using the public-private partnership (PPP) scheme, and the work scope includes the construction of the intake, the transmission pipes, the water treatment plant (WTP), the main distribution network, and the offtake point. The SPAM has two WTPs that are located in Cibeet and Bekasi in West Java.
Jatiluhur I Regional SPAM can provide a drinking water supply of 4,750 litres per second that is predicted to be distributed to 380,000 house connections or to around 1.9 million people in Jakarta and West Java, especially in Bekasi Kota, Bekasi Regency, and Karawang Regency. From Jatiluhur I Regional SPAM, Jakarta will receive 4,000 litres per second of bulk drinking water, Bekasi City will receive 300 litres per second of bulk drinking water, Bekasi Regency will receive 100 litres per second of bulk drinking water, and Karawang Regency will receive 350 litres per second of bulk drinking water.
Jatiluhur I Regional SPAM was commenced in January 2022 and initiated by the consortium of PT Jaya Konstruksi Manggala Pratama Tbk-PT Wijaya Karya (Persero) Tbk-PT Tirta Gemah Ripah that has a cooperation period of 30 years.
“Hopefully, it can be completed before October 2024 to support the availability of water in Jakarta and its surroundings. It cannot provide 100% of the water required in Jakarta,” Human Settlements Director General of the PUPR Ministry Diana Kusumastuti said.
According to Diana, to fulfil the clean water required in Jakarta, Jatiluhur I SPAM is supported by three other SPAM projects, which include Karian-Serpong Regional SPAM that allocates 3,200 litres per second of water to Jakarta that is currently preliminary requirement preparation stage. It is set to achieve financial close at the end of 2023.
Next, there is Juanda/Jatiluhur II SPAM that allocates 2,620 litres per second of water to Jakarta that is currently in the feasibility study preparation stage. Then, there is Buaran SPAM that has a capacity of 3,000 litres per second that is currently in construction.
“I hope that when Jatiluhur I SPAM, Jatiluhur II SPAM, Karian-Serpong SPAM, and Buaran SPAM are completed, the people in Jakarta will no longer use ground water. They can fully use surface water,” Diana said.
Highest record
Meanwhile, Special Staff to PUPR Minister for Water Resources Firdaus Ali said that, since 2018, Jakarta has been sinking due to its ground level subsidence rate that surpasses Mexico City, Bangkok, and Yokohama.
“We hold the highest record of ground level subsidence at 11 centimetres per year. Why is Jakarta sinking? One of the factors that we can control is [our habit of] extracting ground water excessively without refilling them,” Firdaus explained to Investor Daily recently.
Firdaus explained that the completion of Jatiluhur I Regional SPAM, Karian-Serpong SPAM, and Juanda II SPAM would increase the capacity of clean water by 14,000 litres per second in Jakarta. Besides the SPAMs, people can also obtain clean water from wastewater that has been processed into clean water. In another alternative, seawater can also be processed into freshwater.
“Jakarta will receive at least 14,000 litres per second [of water]. It is very helpful. Then, we can also try wastewater that we will recycle first. In Singapore, wastewater is collected to be processed. [It is a favourable solution before] processing seawater into drinking water that costs more,” he stated.
