Oil and Water Don’t Mix

(1/1/2010)

The controversy surrounding reports in the local press that the recently opened Tune Hotel on Jalan Ciung Wanara, Kuta in Bali is contaminating local water supplies continued to boil.

Reports in NusaBali and Denpost speak of a visit to the hotel by Commissions A & B of the Badung House of Representatives (DPRD-Badung) on Monday, December 12, 2009. During the visit legislators found that the hotel held the required permits and licenses for operations but were highly critical that the hotel may be leaking fuel oil into the local water table.

Sandjaja Widjaja, Country CEO, for Tune Hotels in Indonesia wrote to Balidiscovery.com clarify his company’s position.

Widjaja said his company was taking the charges very seriously, insisting they reacted immediately when an initial 3 families contacted the hotel claiming water contamination. Checks ordered by the hotel of the structural integrity of the hotel's fuel tank revealed no breach while tests of local well water revealed no oil contamination. The first set of water tests were conducted by Udayana University and the company is awaiting the results of a subsequent test by Bali's Sanglah General Hospital due within the coming ten days. Tests were also conducted by the Bali Environmental Agency that showed some oil had been spilled onto the soil at the filling spout for the tank. This spillage is not, however, considered severe enough to cause ground water contamination.

While no conclusive test have proven ground water contamination, for the sake of good community relations the hotel accepted a request from the 3 families and paid for a deepening of the current well's depth. The drilling process is now underway.

In the word of Widjaja: "Whilst we are pleased to see that professional evidence indicates no mishaps have taken place, we are mindful of the situation facing our neighbors and are eager to help. Whatever the problems that have arisen with their water well, we feel the need to assist the 3 families to achieve their aim of fresh water and on the 26th December have been in the process of fulfilling that promise."