Jakarta. The Indonesian government has taken a significant step towards modernizing the new capital, Nusantara, by ensuring a reliable supply of clean and safe drinking water directly from the tap, a groundbreaking development in a country where this is uncommon.

Basuki Hadimuljono, the Public Works and Housing Minister and Acting Head of the Nusantara Capital Authority (OIKN), recently participated in the third running test for water flow in IKN. He confirmed the tap water in IKN is safe for direct consumption. "I personally tested the tap water in IKN. It’s drinking water, not just clean water. The tap water in apartments and houses in IKN can be consumed directly,” Basuki told reporters on Friday.

In most parts of Indonesia, drinking tap water is not recommended.

According to Basuki, there were no side effects after drinking the tap water in IKN, saying that its taste was identical to the mineral water commonly consumed by the public. Basuki affirmed that his ministry would continue to test and monitor the water quality in IKN.

"We continuously check the water quality before it enters the reservoir and hope this drinking water will be available for use in the future,” Basuki added.

These tests are crucial for ensuring the proper functioning of the Sepaku Water Supply System (SPAM). SPAM Sepaku is a vital facility designed to meet the drinking water needs of Nusantara. Following a successful running test, the Public Works and Housing Ministry and OIKN immediately drained the system and network while closely monitoring the water quality in IKN’s piping system. This ensures that the drinking water quality in IKN complies with existing health standards.

SPAM Sepaku comprises a Water Treatment Plant with a capacity of 300 liters per second, a 16-kilometer transmission pipe, and a 22-kilometer reservoir and distribution pipe. It will serve several key locations, including the Presidential Office and Palace, the State Secretariat Office, the Presidential Security Forces Headquarters, the Coordinating Ministry Complex, an amphitheater, a gallery, service areas, government housing, Ministerial Residences (RTJM), and other public facilities like hotels, schools, shops, and hospitals.

As a supplement, the government has implemented smart water and wastewater management in IKN. Agus Gunawan, Director of Green Transformation at OIKN, said that these features align with the smart city concept, the foundation for IKN’s development. According to Agus, applying technology to support smart water and wastewater management can be facilitated through integrating Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA).

The Ministry ensures that the SCADA planning is included in the development plan. SCADA has already been installed at the Sepaku Semoi Dam and Sepaku Intake, which serve as sources of raw water and drinking water for IKN and its surroundings. This SCADA system is integrated with a command center for centralized monitoring.