Infrastructure · Badung

Bali: Badung to add capital to water utility over Kuta Selatan shortage

The Badung regency government is preparing to increase the capital of its municipal water company, Tirta Mangutama, to close a water shortage in Kuta Selatan. The head of the local legislature said so on 23 October 2026, and it matters to anyone who owns or plans to buy a villa in the south of the Bukit peninsula.

News of October 23, 2026Published in DOMA News: October 24, 20263 min readDOMA editorial team

Key points

Badung is preparing a local regulation on a capital injection into the Tirta Mangutama water utility, and the legislature must still pass it in plenary.
The utility first asked for about Rp 73 billion, but legislators judged that too low.
Kuta Selatan needs about 2,000 litres per second, while the initial funds can supply around 1,500.
Approval and spending are planned in three stages through 2029.

2,000 l/sKuta Selatan's clean water demand

1,500 l/ssupply possible with the initial funds

Rp 73 bnthe utility's first funding request

2029year the three stages are due to end

What happened

The Badung regency government intends to raise the capital of the municipal water company Perumda Air Minum Tirta Mangutama. The aim is to ease the water crisis in the Kuta Selatan district in the south of the island.

The plan was discussed with the legislature's regulation committee (Bapemperda) of the Badung DPRD. The two sides agreed on a draft regional regulation on regional capital participation (Raperda Penyertaan Modal Daerah). It is still a draft and needs a plenary vote. DPRD Badung chair I Gusti Anom Gumanti said on Friday, 23 October 2026, that the process is moving toward a decision.

How much water and money

The utility itself asked for about Rp 73 billion. After a long discussion with the regency secretary (Sekda), legislators concluded that this amount does not cover what residents actually need.

Clean water demand in Kuta Selatan reaches 2,000 litres per second. The initial funds can supply roughly 1,500 litres per second, which leaves a gap of about 500. That is why the legislature wants a larger injection. The detikBali headline mentions Rp 150 billion, but the article text does not confirm a final figure. Treat it as an indication until the plenary decides.

Which areas and what timeline

Legislators want the problem solved first in Ungasan and Pecatu, and in other areas as far as Jimbaran. Approval and spending are planned in three stages running to 2029.

One of the first priorities is the distribution of water to be drawn from the Tukad Mati river. According to the legislature's chair, that is how supply can reach the target of 2,000 litres per second.

The desalination idea and its status

Legislators also advised the utility's management to look for new ways to supply water. One idea is to treat seawater as a raw water source. The chair explained that the roads in the area are already built, so development will speed up and demand for water will rise.

He added that he is ready to discuss the needed amount as long as it stays within what the regional budget (APBD) can afford. This is advice and a wish, not a decision. The source gives no desalination project, schedule or cost.

What it means for residents and business

The authorities themselves call the situation a water crisis. For a villa owner in the south of the Bukit this is a practical question: is network pressure and volume enough, and what covers the gap. The answer depends on the exact address, so no general conclusion about the whole area is possible.

Until the regulation passes and the money is spent, nothing changes for current subscribers. The plenary decision and the schedule for the three stages will be the first signal of real timing.

What happens next

Watch for the DPRD Badung plenary vote on the capital injection regulation and for the final sum. After that, look at how the three stages to 2029 are split and whether supply from the Tukad Mati starts.

What it means for investors

Check how a property in the south of the Bukit gets its water: the Tirta Mangutama network, trucked deliveries or a well. Ask the seller or the management company for water bills from recent months and the connection contract. Keep a reserve in the owner's budget for delivered water until the network is reinforced. The plenary decision and the schedule to 2029 are not yet approved, so do not build a calculation on their outcome. We check the network connection and the water source in the property documents.

Open the Bali map

Q&A

Has the Badung water utility capital regulation been passed?

No. The draft was agreed with a legislative committee, but the DPRD Badung plenary must still approve it.

Which areas of Kuta Selatan are named first?

Ungasan and Pecatu, plus other areas as far as Jimbaran.

Source

detikBali, published October 23, 2026, language: Indonesian

Prepared by the DOMA editorial team from public reports, with the original source linked above. This is a news review, not legal or tax advice. Not a public offer.