The government inaugurated the Rp 270 billion (US$23.5 million) Teritip reservoir in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, on Friday in order to help the city increase clean water treatment as well as to better control floods.
“The Teritip reservoir plays an important role in Balikpapan because the city is a center for industry that will continue to develop,” Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto said in a statement made available to The Jakarta Post on Friday.
The inauguration was attended by East Kalimantan Governor awang Faroek Ishak, Balikapapan Mayor Rizal Effendi, ministry research and development head Waskito Pandu, ministry spokesman Danis H. Sumadilaga and House of Representative commission V member Hetifah Sjaifudian.
Djoko said construction of the reservoir was part of the government’s mid-term development plan (RPJM) for 2014-2019.
“Water management and flood control are crucial and we are going to continue plan, work, monitor and evaluate water conservation and development,” he said.
The reservoir measures 300 hectares and has a capacity of 2.4 million cubic meters of water with an output of 260 liters per second.
