Jakarta Green-lights New Pumping Station for Cempaka Reservoir

To tackle persistent flooding in Cempaka Putih, Vice Governor Rano Karno has green-lighted the construction of a new pumping station at the Cempaka retention basin. It is done to clear standing water that frequently snarls traffic on Jalan Letjend Suprapto after heavy rains.

We expect to have the facility up and running by 2027

Rano explained that a pump house is the city's best bet. He argued that raising the road would be a losing battle because the neighborhood sits in a natural 'bowl' or basin

"Cempaka Putih is the lowest point in this area. During rainstorms, water naturally flows here, and because the current retention pond is relatively small, we’ve had to rely on mobile pumps for now," he expressed, during an inspection, Friday (1/30).

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He admitted that using mobile pumps has essentially been a band-aid solution because they simply don't have the muscle to handle the volume.

Instead, he is betting on a new pumping station with high-capacity stationary pumps to fix the problem for good.

"Hopefully, the added horsepower of this new pump house will allow the streets to drain on the double," he asserted.

Jakarta Water Resources Agency (SDA) Head, Ika Agustin explained that currently, the area relies on two portable pumps that move about 14,000 gallons per minute combined—a capacity that has proven insufficient.

The city is upping the ante with a permanent station capable of pumping over 126,000 gallons per minute.

According to her, this infrastructure will do more than just clear the streets; it will serve a 618-acre drainage basin, funneling water through a reservoir system into the Sunter River.

"We inked the deal at the end of December 2025. Equipment is moving in now, and construction will start in earnest next month. We expect to have the facility up and running by 2027," she noted.