WATER SYSTEM IN INDONESIA

Clean water is a scarce resource in Indonesia, especially during dry season (called "kemarau"). Many people have to buy water, drill wells, and ask neighbors if they have any. Many houses in rural areas do not have water pipe from the Government agency ("PD Air Minum"). My house is an example. I have to drill a well and pump water (with electrical water pump) into a water tank.

As a guideline, water is not drinkable directly from the tap. Do not even try! 

You have to boil the water before you drink it, or else you'll get sick. (There was a talk of plan to make water drinkable directly from the tap in Jakarta. Don't hold your breath) Or you can buy bottled water, in small sizes or in gallons. Stomachache is common. It ranges from inconvenience to dangerous (fatal, if you loose lots of your body water and not treated). 

Most Indonesians take a bath at least once a day. In big cities, such as Jakarta, many do it twice a day. After you arrived at home from work, your body is usually so sticky from sweat and dusts. Most people do not have a western-type shower in their bathroom. They use a different style bathroom (usually with a tub filled with water and squat toilet). 

I'll write more on this...

Rainy season is supposed to bring water. However, it also brings floods in many areas. Sewer system is not that great. Many people dump garbage on the side of the street, river, etc. clogging the drainage system, which is already bad in itself. Many streets are poorly designed. Water spills on the street, damaging the street.

If it sounds bad, it is. But we'll live... You will too. We'll find ways to cope with all of these problems.

                           Think Before You Drink


If you think the water you are drinking is just H2O, think again! According to some studies, an astonishing 75,000 chemical compounds have been found in our water, yet the EPA has established enforceable safety standards for only 87. Many of these chemicals are potentially harmful and can spawn health problems. According to the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, nearly one million people get sick from drinking contaminated water each year with about 1,000 cases tragically ending in death.

                      Sources of Water Pollution

a)What are the sources of water pollution?

There are many causes for water pollution but two general categories exist: direct and indirect contaminant sources.

Direct sources include effluent outfalls from factories, refineries, waste treatment plants etc.. that emit fluids of varying quality directly into urban water supplies. In the United States and other countries, these practices are regulated, although this doesn't mean that pollutants can't be found in these waters.

                What Is Pure Water?

Water is the most common substance occurring in human organism. It comprises 60 – 70% of the weight of adult and 75 - 85% of the weight of a suckling. Water fulfils a lot of functions in the organism; the most important of them are those of digestion, absorption of nutrients, blood circulation, transport of nutrients through cell membranes and perspiration.