PONTIANAK, thekabarnews.com—The Pontianak city administration is optimizing the Penepat Reservoir in neighboring Kubu Raya Regency. This comes after seawater intrusion raised salinity in the Kapuas River and disrupted the city’s treated-water services.

Pontianak Mayor Edi Rusdi Kamtono inspected the reservoir in Korek Village, Sungai Ambawang District, on Thursday, August 27. The facility serves as a backup raw-water source when the Kapuas becomes too saline during the dry season.

“For the past few days, I have received many complaints from residents about weaker water flow and water that tastes salty,” Edi said.

“I understand that this condition disrupts daily needs because clean water is a basic necessity,” he added.

Edi said the salt concentration in the Kapuas had exceeded 5,000 milligrams per liter because seawater was moving farther upstream. He said the level had affected the quality of raw water normally processed for customers.

The mayor cited maximum levels of 600 milligrams per liter for bathing water. Levels should be below 300 milligrams per liter for drinking water.

The city administration cited these figures as the applicable thresholds. They are not a laboratory assessment of every household connection.

The Penepat system connects to the Imam Bonjol treatment facility through approximately 30 kilometers of pipeline.

It was designed to deliver as much as 1,000 liters per second. However, its current contribution stands at only around 200 liters per second because repairs remain underway.

“Only about 200 liters per second is currently being pumped to Imam Bonjol because the system is not yet operating optimally,” Edi said.

Workers are repairing the reservoir’s inlet and outlet, along with supporting infrastructure and two pipelines. The city expects the work to improve the volume of raw water available for treatment. However, officials have not announced a completion date.

Pontianak requires about 2,000 liters per second across four intake systems. Its municipal utility currently covers approximately 90.6 percent of the city. The 6.6-hectare Penepat Reservoir therefore plays an important role when the Kapuas supply deteriorates.

While repairs continue, Perumda Tirta Khatulistiwa is providing free fresh water at its office, the Perumnas III booster station and other designated locations. The utility has also prepared tanker trucks for neighborhoods requiring drinking water.

Edi called for stronger central-government support, including a proposed 800-millimeter pipeline from Penepat and studies of alternative raw-water sources. He did not disclose the estimated cost or construction schedule.

Indonesia’s Water Resources Law divides responsibility according to river basin jurisdiction. Meanwhile, Government Regulation No. 30/2024 governs integrated water resource management.

Consequently, the response requires coordination between municipal authorities and agencies responsible for the wider river system.

Restoring Penepat’s capacity may ease the immediate disruption. Pontianak will still need a more resilient raw-water network to reduce repeated service problems during future dry seasons.