Bali Post quotes the Executive Director of the Bali Hotel Association (BHA), Djinaldi Gosana, saying that his organization is seeking a suitable foreign investor to help convert sea water into potable water on a commercial quantity basis.
Gosali said that sea water could be sourced from water depths of at least 60 meters off Bali’s shoreline. The BHA have invited a number of candidate foreign investors, including Consolidated Water to provide assistance to the Provincial Water Board (PDAM) in realizing the project.
“We are trying to attract a foreign investor to be assisted by the World Bank in supporting PDAM. Hopefully with this program, the new accommodation being built in Sanur and Nusa Dua will have a sufficient water supply,” stated Djinaldi on Thursday, July 28, 2011.
He said the current demand for clean water by a five star hotels in Bali has hit an average of 50,000 liters per day. Meanwhile, the demand for water at the Ngurah Rai International Airport is put at 2 million liters per day. Given this high rate of water consumption in Bali and the current fresh water deficit on the island, Bali is facing a severe water crisis in the coming five years.
“The water is just enough at the moment, if we build new hotels we need to anticipate a coming water crisis. Because of this, we are continuing to try through 2012 to call candidate investors to Indonesia, and Bali in particular,” explained Djinaldi.
Djinaldi promised that the seawater used in the proposed water conversion project would not harm the environment, with water being sourced for desalination at a depth of 60-100 meters.
The provincial government of Bali is increasingly requiring tourism investors to draw a minimum of 10% of their energy requirements from alternative sources.
