03
May

Water shortage

 

At Inspiral we are acutely aware that Indonesia is a huge contributor to the issue of global climate change. An example of this is what can only be described as a “water crisis” on the Island of the Gods. The Island is under strain from mass development over the past 10 years, little feasibility is ever performed prior to conception of very large ground water draining projects. We believe we have a responsibility to guide our clients in creating buildings that do not further compound this water crisis.

 

The problem :

There is an alarming reduction in the levels of freshwater, springs, ponds and oftentimes there is infiltration of sea water into the groundwater. Tourism is the main contributing factor to this water crisis, hotel rooms are too numerous: 90 000 while the optimal number should be 22 000*. Each of them needs approximately 300 liters of water per day, this is 23,4 million liters that are daily consumed by only tourists, participating to the water shortage. The prosperous market of spas and luxurious villas with swimming pools and Jacuzzis, which are big consumers of water, also increase this consumption. The level of the groundwater has fallen of 50 meters in certain zones within 10 years. The lake Buyan**, the biggest freshwater tank of the island has seen its level falling down of 5 meters. 60 % of Bali ponds are dry and the soils pollution is alarming. The beautiful lake Batur is also extremely polluted by pesticidal and fertilizing because of the adjacent plantations and industrial fish farms.

 

Our role in the solution :

At Inspiral we aim to reduce the water wastage within our designs using innovations that we incorporate into our designs. To reduce waste of water, we can do it by several ways, we can :

– Recycle the waste and the sewage water using the latest water filtration and treatment technology into water suitable for consumption.

– Use the output water from the sewage treatment plant for the surrounding landscapes.

– Encourage rainwater harvesting to reduce the supply taken from groundwater. This is very useful when being in a remote area, or area where the government pipe doesn’t reach, or where the groundwater is not accessible or expensive to reach it.

For example in the Merah Putih restaurant, the fabric columns of the architecture collect rainwater and direct it towards and advanced UV filters purification system.

 

 


  • https://www.courrierinternational.com/breve/2010/09/06/bali-les-chiffres-de-tous-les-dangers

** https://bali-gazette.com/nappe-phreatique-eau-douce-bali-touche-le-fond-du-puits/