Clean water provision in Kerendan (Indonesia)

The villages of Kerendan, Luwe Hulu, Muara Pari, and Haragandang all lay along the river within the Bangkanai Block, where Ophir has operations, so they are classed as DAVs (Directly Affected Villages).

These communities rely on the river as a source of water for almost everything, including bathing, waste disposal and washing; leaving them with often dangerously unclean drinking water. Ophir’s first clean water provision project is in Kerendan, where water is taken from the river and then filtered and purified using a Floating Filtration System. The filtered water is taken to a water tower and then piped to 123 houses in Kerendan, benefitting 304 families. Clean water is a rare commodity for the communities along the Barito River and its streams, so now other villages such as Luwe Hulu and Haragandang are also keen for Ophir to work with them on clean water projects in their villages.

Following on from the initial installation of a filtration and purification system from a creek off the Barito River at Kerendan, a further clean water project has been commissioned in Luwe Hulu, this time using water from natural springs in three different locations for a steady and consistent flow of water. The current plan is to pipe the water from the sources to single pool tank for purification and treatment, before it is stored in a distribution tank with multiple communal outlets in the village. The next phase of the project will be piping the water from those outlets to individual houses in Luwe Hulu.