PONTIANAK, thekabarnews.com—A barge carrying 1.1 million liters of freshwater from Kubu Raya regency arrived in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, on Wednesday, September 16. The Pontianak administration sought alternative supplies amid continuing saltwater intrusion in the Kapuas River.

The barge transported the raw water from Radak village in Terentang district to the Nipah Kuning water treatment plant (IPA) in western Pontianak. Perumda Tirta Khatulistiwa began transferring the water into the facility for treatment before distribution to customers.

“Since last night, the barge we rented to carry freshwater from Radak village in Terentang has arrived,” Pontianak Mayor Edi Rusdi Kamtono said during an inspection of the plant.

“It is now unloading and channeling the freshwater into the Nipah Kuning water treatment plant.”

The shipment forms part of the city’s emergency response to elevated salinity in its conventional raw-water sources.

Prolonged dry weather has allowed seawater to move farther upstream. The drought has affected water drawn from the Kapuas River and produced salty tap water in parts of Pontianak.

The Nipah Kuning plant can process about 300 liters per second and primarily supplies the Pontianak Barat district.

Edi said the freshwater shipment should improve the quality of water processed at the facility.

“Through this additional freshwater supply, we hope the quality of the available water will improve,” he said.

The city stressed that the 1.1 million liters constituted raw water rather than water ready for direct consumption. The plant must first process it and verify its quality before distributing it to customers.

The Health Ministry Regulation No. 2/2023 requires drinking water to meet microbiological, physical and chemical standards.

Perumda Tirta Khatulistiwa President Director Abdullah said the utility had distributed almost 4 million liters of drinking water during the emergency. This volume excludes the new barge shipment. Tankers and smaller vehicles have delivered supplies to residents at designated points across the city.

Two more barges are being prepared to strengthen the reserve. The vessels can carry about 5 million and 4 million liters, respectively. This brings the planned shipment total to more than 10 million liters.

The city intends to direct the two larger barges to the Parit Mayor treatment plant. According to Pontianak.go.id, the shipments would continue if the Kapuas River’s raw-water quality remained unsuitable.

Officials recorded a decline in salinity at the Imam Bonjol facility from approximately 3,000 milligrams per liter to 1,300 milligrams per liter. However, as of Wednesday, salinity at Nipah Kuning remained relatively high.

The barges provide a temporary source of lower-salinity raw water, but they do not replace the city’s regular supply system. Pontianak will still depend on rainfall, upstream river flow and treatment capacity to restore stable water services across all districts.