Residents of Bali’s Bukit Peninsula are facing a prolonged water shortage, with some households in Kutuh going more than three weeks without running water.
The crisis has also affected neighboring areas, including Ungasan, Pecatu, Jimbaran, Nusa Dua, and Balangan.
Many families have been forced to rely on water deliveries, paying around IDR 200,000 for a tanker every two to three days. Others are collecting water from distribution points, where long queues have become a regular sight. Even public facilities, including schools, have been affected.
The water supply problems began worsening in September, when the local water utility introduced a rotating distribution schedule for Ungasan and Kutuh. The areas were divided into two groups, with water supplied on alternating schedules.
Authorities initially blamed the disruption on prolonged dry conditions. Rivers have been running low, reducing the amount of water available for treatment and distribution.
The situation deteriorated further in late September when a short circuit damaged the main pump at the Estuary Dam water treatment facility in southern Denpasar, which supplies water to the Bukit Peninsula.
Replacement parts had to be brought from Java, leaving several areas without a reliable water supply. Although the pump resumed operation on September 30, water pressure remained insufficient to restore service to many homes at higher elevations.
The reservoir itself is also running dangerously low. By early October, its water level had dropped to just 60 centimeters, less than half the normal level. The utility has deployed heavy equipment to clear the waterway and improve the flow into the reservoir.
Relief may still be weeks away. According to Indonesia’s meteorological agency, the rainy season is expected to reach southern Bali only in mid-December, while rainfall in the island’s central highlands could begin in late November.
Bali Governor Wayan Koster has urged local authorities to prioritize the water crisis on the Bukit Peninsula, criticizing the situation in which residents are forced to queue for water despite the region’s financial resources.
Meanwhile, Indonesia’s Audit Board (BPK) has raised concerns about water losses and supply disruptions during a preliminary audit. A more detailed investigation is scheduled to take place between late October and December.
The local water utility has promised free water tanker deliveries to households affected by the disruption. Residents can submit complaints through the utility’s website using their customer connection number or visit its office in Kedonganan.
This is not the first major water supply disruption on the Bukit Peninsula in 2026. In May, a leaking main pipeline near the toll road left Kutuh, Kampial, and Nusa Dua without water for several days. In March, damaged pumps caused a week of intermittent supply in Pecatu.
For now, residents across southern Bali continue to face uncertainty over when regular water service will return, while the cost of securing a basic necessity keeps rising.
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