The Regional Water Utility Company (Perumda Air Minum) or PDAM of Semarang City is expanding its global network to modernize the water management system in its region. This strategic step is realized through exploring international collaboration with a vocational education institution from Guizhou, China, facilitated by the Semarang State Polytechnic (Polines). This cross-border cooperation will focus on technology transfer in clean water management, wastewater treatment, and the utilization of renewable energy.
President Director of PDAM Semarang City, Ady Setiawan, revealed that the initiative is an expansion of the synergy already closely established between PDAM and Polines. This collaboration between the business world and academia is expected to bring innovative solutions for water supply in the capital of Central Java.
"We were invited by Polines, which is currently partnering with a vocational institution in Guizhou, China. The relationship between higher education and the industrial sector is practically applied through this cooperation," said Ady on Wednesday (15/7).
According to Ady, this partnership aligns well with PDAM Semarang City's operational expansion plans in the near future. The regional company is scheduled to soon manage wastewater treatment plants and develop hydropower projects in the Jatibarang area.
In addition to adopting cutting-edge technology from China, this cooperation also opens up opportunities for human resource development. PDAM Semarang City is committed to providing industrial internship programs for Polines students as well as students from Guizhou to put their knowledge into practice directly.
The management acknowledges that technology transfer from a more developed country is crucial, especially in optimizing the domestic waste treatment system which still requires improvement. With this new technology, PDAM aims to reuse treated wastewater as raw water, and even process it to meet drinking water standards.
