Imported water and idle treatment plants leave Pulau Kukusan exposed

Labuan Bajo — Residents of Pulau Kukusan, a small island in Komodo District, West Manggarai, rely on water brought by boat from outside the island and continue to face limited local water infrastructure, according to recent reporting and official statements.

Pulau Kukusan lies in Desa Pasir Panjang, about a 30-minute speedboat ride from Marina Labuan Bajo, and is home to roughly 85 families and around 300 people, according to coverage of a September 2026 visit by provincial authorities.

Regional outlets have documented that access to clean water remains a major challenge in and around the Komodo National Park area, with households and small businesses often purchasing water delivered by tanker or small boats rather than relying on piped supplies.

Buying water brought in by sea

Reports on water access in coastal communities near Labuan Bajo describe how residents buy water in containers that are transported from other locations by vehicle or vessel, sometimes at prices much higher than conventional utility tariffs. In some cases, traders or residents arrange for water to be brought along with other goods on fishing or service boats, making availability dependent on transport schedules and costs.

Regional coverage from Manggarai Barat notes that in parts of the Komodo National Park buffer zone, households pay per-container rates for clean water purchased from small-scale suppliers, with prices varying by volume and distance. Local media and community organisations have also highlighted that when water must be shipped to islands, transport costs can equal or exceed the price of the water itself, increasing the overall burden on residents.

These accounts align with broader assessments that freshwater sources on and around Labuan Bajo are limited by dry climate and topography, increasing competition between tourism facilities and local communities for piped supply.

Unreliable desalination and infrastructure

Water treatment technology has been introduced in parts of Labuan Bajo and West Manggarai, but several projects have fallen into disuse. A May 2025 report from Patrolipost described a seawater desalination installation at the Labuan Bajo fish auction centre that became idle after mechanical components failed, forcing traders and fishers to return to buying water from tanker trucks at higher prices.

The same report quoted the head of the Manggarai Barat Food Security and Fisheries Office as saying that key elements of the desalination system, such as the dynamo and piping, were found damaged during inspections, rendering the facility unable to operate. This mirrors problems identified in earlier investigations into water projects around Labuan Bajo, where poorly maintained storage tanks and pipe networks reduced pressure and left neighbourhoods with intermittent or no service.

Policy analyses of Labuan Bajo’s water supply note that the local water utility can only cover a portion of actual demand in the rapidly growing tourism center, and that many hotels, boats and households must seek alternative sources when the system cannot deliver sufficient volume. In island communities, local wells and rainwater harvesting are often constrained by geology and seasonal rainfall, increasing reliance on imported water and small-scale treatment.

Recent assistance linked to disasters

Separate from chronic supply issues, Pulau Kukusan was the focus of emergency assistance in early September 2026 after an earthquake affected residents and schoolchildren. According to a report on the visit, the regional police chief and colleagues travelled to the island on 1 September 2026 to deliver humanitarian aid and psychological support, noting that the community is relatively remote and accessible only by boat. A related broadcast summary lists follow-up clean water deliveries by maritime police units to affected areas in West Manggarai later that month.

The combination of limited local water sources, aging or under-maintained treatment infrastructure and reliance on boat transport underscores why clean water remains a central concern for Pulau Kukusan and neighbouring communities, even as the island is being promoted as an emerging tourism destination.

Sources

• Detikcom (Detik Bali) – feature on Pulau Kukusan as new destination
• RRI Ende – tag page for Polairud Polres Manggarai
• Victory News Manggarai Barat – Air Bersih Tetap Jadi Masalah Utama di Kawasan TNK
• Patrolipost – Mesin Penyulingan Air Laut Jadi Air Bersih di TPI Labuan Bajo Mubazir
• Floresa.co – Miliaran Dana Digelontorkan, Proyek Air di Kota Pariwisata Labuan Bajo Mubazir
• Scribd – TUGAS (KELOMPOK 5) document on Labuan Bajo water and sanitation