PONTIANAK, thekabarnews.com—A Pontianak resident has served a formal notice to city-owned water utility Perumda Tirta Khatulistiwa as a preliminary step toward a citizen lawsuit. This follows the prolonged disruption to the city’s clean-water service.

Eka Nurhayati Ishak said on Tuesday, September 15, that the planned legal action sought to defend residents’ basic right to safe and reliable water.

She said customers who paid for the service should receive water that met applicable quality standards. Furthermore, it should remain suitable for daily use.

“This legal action is not about personal interests. It concerns the public’s fundamental right to public services, particularly access to adequate clean water,” Eka told reporters in Pontianak.

The notice is not the same as a lawsuit already registered with a court. It gives the service provider and relevant authorities an opportunity to respond before Eka proceeds with the planned citizen lawsuit.

Eka said residents had struggled with water that tasted salty during the prolonged dry season. Saltwater intrusion has affected the Penepat reservoir, one of the raw-water sources used by Perumda Tirta Khatulistiwa.

“Water is the most basic necessity of life. People pay for the service and have the right to receive water that meets quality standards and is fit for use,” she said.

The Pontianak administration has acknowledged that salinity in the Penepat raw-water source exceeded 1,000 milligrams per liter amid dry conditions.

The city and Perumda have brought in lower-salinity water from outside Pontianak. They have also increased treatment capacity and distributed emergency supplies by tanker.

The city government said the utility was also using reverse-osmosis equipment. However, its existing capacity could not meet demand across the entire city.

By September 15, the administration was producing about 1 million liters of freshwater each day. This water was distributed across six districts and 29 urban villages.

The city also announced a 30 percent discount for household customers affected by the deterioration in raw-water quality.

Pontianak Mayor Edi Rusdi Kamtono said the measures were intended to reduce residents’ burden while the disruption continued.

However, Eka argued that recurring shortages required a permanent mitigation system instead of relying mainly on emergency measures.

She called for technical safeguards and clearer public information about water quality and the measures taken to restore normal service.

“Through this citizen-lawsuit notice, I am demanding concrete, measurable and transparent action to guarantee the availability of clean and adequate water for Pontianak residents,” she said.

Indonesia’s Health Ministry Regulation No. 2/2023 requires drinking-water providers to meet physical, microbiological and chemical standards. It also requires periodic testing at production facilities and within distribution networks.

A salty taste alone does not provide a complete laboratory assessment. Still, it can indicate a change that requires testing and corrective treatment.

Perumda Tirta Khatulistiwa had not publicly responded specifically to Eka’s notice when we prepared this article. Therefore, the document represents the start of a possible legal process. It is not a court finding that the utility or city government violated the law.