Jakarta. The government is in the process of drafting a new regulation aimed at curbing the utilization of groundwater, which includes restrictions on filling private swimming pools.

According to a draft regulation proposed by the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, any household consuming 100 cubic meters or more of groundwater per month must obtain a government permit starting in 2027.

The proposed regulation encompasses criteria for obtaining permits, along with sanctions and fines related to both commercial and private usage of groundwater, said Muhammad Wafid, the head of the ministry’s geological agency.

Luxury houses with private swimming pools will come under government scrutiny for the permit.

Wafid told Antara news agency that "normal household use" of groundwater would not necessitate a permit.

The bill's proposal follows the geological agency’s alarming findings of substantial depletion in major groundwater reservoirs across various cities and regencies, including Medan, Serang, Tangerang, Jakarta, Karawang, Bekasi, Bogor, Surabaya, Bandung, Soreang, Denpasar, Tabanan, Pekalongan, Pemalang, Semarang, Metro, Kotabumi, Karanganyar, Boyolali, Palangkaraya, and Banjarmasin.

“These areas will take precedence in implementing the groundwater licensing regulation,” Wafid said.