RI, U.S. Increase Clean Water Access

Jakarta, April 11 (ANTARA) - The United States Embassy to Indonesia co-sponsored an energy seminar that will help Indonesia increase access to clean water through improved energy efficiency at water utilities (PDAMs). According to a press release received here on Wednesday, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Indonesia Urban Water Sanitation and Hygiene (IUWASH) program co-sponsored the seminar to help utilities save energy and reduce energy costs, and the money saved can be used to improve services. �By helping authorities and utilities, and to provide safe, piped water to more Indonesians� homes, the United States is contributing to improve the overall quality of life and health of Indonesia�s less-fortunate communities," said USAID Mission Director Glenn Anders. Clean water dramatically reduces illness from diseases, such as diarrhea, which can result in death, especially for children under the age of five, because access to clean water and basic sanitation is an essential element in Indonesia�s struggle against poverty, inequality and illness, Anders added. The one-day seminar included participation from Indonesian Water Utilities Association (Perpamsi) and 40 PDAM directors from throughout Indonesia, mostly from IUWASH assisted cities. In addition to USAID, the seminar was co-sponsored by the Ministry of Public Works-Directorate General Human Settlement, Perpamsi, and the Indonesian Agency for the Development of Water Supply (BPPSPAM), the Asian Development Bank, and the World Bank. Based on an initial assessments, IUWASH found that the energy cost of IUWASH PDAM partners is approximately 30 percent. USAID�s IUWASH program is working with the Ministry of Public Works Directorate General of Human Settlements and the central government to conduct an energy audit for five districts, including Karawang, Kota Semarang, Kota Surakarta, Gresik, and Lamongan. The financial cost-benefit analysis will be the basis for the improvement of PDAM business plans for internal financing and potential financing by a third party. �We realized the importance of energy efficiency to improve the quality of PDAM operations. We appreciate IUWASH support to implement the energy audit and we will use it as a basis for efficiency measures,� said the Director of PDAM for Gresik district, Muhammad.