Local water utilities in Indonesia face several challenges that impact their reliability, performance, and ability to provide water services effectively. Common challenges include financial, asset, workforce, and operations management issues. Additional problems include old infrastructure, water loss and leakage, and water quality and scarcity due to climate change.
To help governments and water utilities provide better services, USAID IUWASH Tangguh introduced an asset management and water quality and quantity monitoring tool called mWater to partnering water utilities throughout the project’s 38 districts and cities. Developed by Solstice Institute, this scalable, free technology features a user-friendly interface, offers room for development and customization, and provides several benefits for water utilities through a data-driven management approach.
Overall, mWater helps utilities optimize operations, improve service delivery, and ensure more sustainable management of water resources. It achieves this through online data collection, management, and analysis, real-time monitoring, remote access to track the status of pipes and other infrastructure and creating customer surveys. The digital platform also helps utilities streamline regulatory compliance and improve decision-making processes, among other benefits.
The water utilities in Pasuruan city and Pasuruan district—two municipalities under the USAID IUWASH Tangguh project in East Java—are currently transitioning from a manual, paper-based system to the digital mWater application. Since October 2023, USAID IUWASH Tangguh experts have trained 41 water utility personnel to familiarize themselves with the mWater app, enabling them to design surveys, input data, perform tasks, and access necessary features. During the training, participants learned how to operate the mobile app, create forms, delegate surveys, and analyze data sets. Field exercises provided the opportunity to input data directly into the app while others at the command center observed real-time updates.
Muhammad Ghufron from the Pasuruan district water utility sees significant potential in the real-time monitoring features. “We can now monitor the performance of our systems, detect issues in real time, and respond immediately. This will enhance collaboration, improve coordination, and significantly aid our work,” he stated.
In January 2024, water utility personnel learned how to manage mWater’s raw water monitoring dashboard, which enables utilities to record the quality and quantity of raw water. Za’ari, the Pasuruan district Water Utility Director, emphasized the importance of recording raw water conditions to protect water sources amidst increasing climate change impacts. Yoyok Widoyoko, the Pasuruan City Water Utility Director, reiterated that the utility will use the dashboard data to improve water services and respond to customer complaints.
Part of the initial transformation involves digitizing assets such as the piping network, power consumption, pressure, and air flow of the water pumps. Agus Mujianto from the Pasuruan city water utility highlighted that the digitization of the piping network allows accurate inventory of underground assets, aiding in planning, scheduling, and prioritizing maintenance, repairs, or part replacements.
Ghufron, Agus, and many others were also trained on the app’s geospatial features, which allow their team to collect and manage data points based on the location where the data was taken. They were able to geotag the data, enabling others to see the assets, perform assessments, and make informed decisions based on the collected information.
Beyond asset digitization, the adoption of the mWater app aims to transform the mindset of both companies and their staff from a paper-based system to a mobile digital-based one. The success of this migration will depend on various factors, including proper implementation, user adoption, and continuous support and training. A three-month evaluation revealed that not all staff have embraced the new approach. For example, only 25 percent of the field staff from the Pasuruan district water utility have used the app. In contrast, the Pasuruan city water utility fared much better, with all field staff regularly using the mWater app to upload data. Nevertheless, the water utilities will continue to address any shortcomings and monitor progress as they push the digitization process forward, recognizing its crucial role in transforming the companies.
USAID IUWASH Tangguh supports this change, which will impact not just internal processes but also foster a culture of openness, promote good corporate governance, and increase government accountability through improved citizen access to public information. By utilizing innovative technologies for data management and risk mitigation, USAID supports water utilities in protecting their water sources and improving water services for citizens.
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