Who lost water
Complaints came from Bualu, Sawangan, Kampial, Kutuh, Ungasan, Pecatu, Labuan Sait, Balangan and Jimbaran. Some areas had no water for up to a week, and Kampial for at least two days in a row.
These areas are supplied by Perumda Tirta Mangutama, the Badung regency water utility.
What went wrong
Utility director I Wayan Suyasa pointed to two causes. The long dry season pushed demand up, while raw water from the sources fell.
On top of that, the motor of the 800 kW main pump at the Estuary water treatment plant short-circuited. Two 200 kW backup pumps are running and deliver about 348 litres per second. Another 200 kW pump is being installed to add about 100 litres per second.
The emergency response
Free water is being delivered in 5,000-litre tankers. Four tanker trucks are in use, with support from the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) and the army (TNI).
ANTARA reports that the army also brought water to Banjar Menesa in Kampial, where 650 households, or about 3,900 people, were without supply.
Background: a long dry season
Bali is going through an extended dry season this year. Even after the pump is fixed, pressure in the Bukit network may stay unreliable until the rains arrive.
Many villas and hotels on the Bukit depend on the mains network. Backup pumps and tankers help close the gap, but they do not cover all of the area's needs.
For owners it is a reason to check their own water reserves in advance. A 5,000-litre tanker for a residential area is a stopgap, not a substitute for piped supply.