by Albertha Sekundarti
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| I am still afraid drinking from tap water |
When I came to the Netherlands, I was very fascinated with the water system. Imagine, I could drink straight from the tap water in many places, even from the water faucet in the bathroom.
It’s amazing …
Honestly, first time when I drink from tap water, I felt not so sure to drink it. I said a prayer in my heart, so that I am not poisoning.
Compared with the conditions in Indonesia, especially in Jakarta, ground waterin urban areas unfit for consumption as drinking water, because the pollution levels are very high.
Experts tell us that even though ground water is boiled to 100 degrees Celsius, not all bacteria exist in soil water dead, and there are elements such as nitrates found, which can’t be lost with boiling water. He said, about 20 to 30 years, women who consumed water contaminated with nitrates will give birth to “blue baby”, or known as cyanosis. The baby will show a bluish color of the skin and the mucous membranes due to insufficient oxygen in the blood.
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| 1 Gallon in Jakarta = 19 litres |
Is that scary, isn’t it? I am a woman and still plan to have a baby. Now I have to use bottled water to drink every day. In 1 week, my family spent about 2-3 gallons of bottled water. (1 gallon in Jakarta = 19 liters : 12,000 rupiah / 1.2 euro). So, in 1 month, I spend about 10 gallons of bottled water.