Denmark is Interested in Investing Wastewater Management Installation in Citarum River

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Having experienced being able to escape from the wastewater crisis in the 1960s, Denmark tried to apply it to the Citarum River. One of the things they highlighted was related to the wastewater management installation (IPAL) in a factory located around the Citarum River.

This was conveyed by the Head of Tread of the Danish Embassy to Indonesia, Jacob Kehl Jepsen while visiting a waste processing company in Bandung Regency, PT Mitra Citarum Air Biru (MCAB) on Monday (26/10/2020).

“I’m from the Danish Embassy in Jakarta. Today we have a treatment plan, we find out about the reverse water system. We are looking for challenges and opportunities to see directly here. Since Friday we have had very good discussions. We try to provide different solutions for wastewater treatment for industry and also at the household level, “Jepsen told reporters.

Jepsen explained that the Scandinavian countries had experienced the clean water crisis in the 1960s. Finally, the Danish Government decided to try a wastewater management system to clean water and it has been considered successful until now.

Therefore, Jepsen said, he represented his country to try to identify what were the challenges for waste management in the Citarum River and to what extent, the country’s processing system can be applied.

“This is a big and complicated issue to solve and Denmark has been through this since 1960. Now we have a community and we are brainstorming about water quality. And (now) we drink from that, and it costs a lot, It’s not for free. We know the water level (Citarum River) is decreasing and it’s a challenge to improve the water system here, “he explained.

“Water is not only something free, water has value and we must continue to protect it. We also see the concept. We see this water can be used for government and industrial environments. This can also boost a country’s economy because we can have our own water treatment system, “he added.

Jepsen added that he and the Denmark authority would consider every possibility whether their system could be implemented in Citarum, because this cooperation will be a long-term collaboration.

“We have discussed with partners and learned from here, then we return to our country and see what can attract attention to be able to develop a water system here,” he said.

“We have many solution options: how to treat water, distribute safe waste, and others. We can have long-term cooperation and we are very interested in it,” he concluded.

The Dansector 7 of the Harum Citarum Task Force, Colonel Kav Purwadi, welcomed the collaboration. Purwadi conveyed that Denmark’s experience in overcoming the clean water crisis can be a lesson for Indonesia.

“Today we received a visit from the Danish Embassy in order to show the waste treatment process in the Citarum area. I have explained completely about this process. In their country, water is very expensive, very valuable, so water can be reprocessed and reused again, ” Purwadi said.

“He will invest. Several countries and regions have been invested. He offers waste technology and waste processing. That is what we expect from their investment,” he explained.