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Abstract

Clean water is an essential public need, and its provision at the local level is carried out by the Regional Water Supply Company (PDAM). In Kemili Village, Bebesen Subdistrict, Central Aceh Regency, customers of PDAM Tirta Tawar frequently experience service problems, including prolonged water outages, poor water quality, pipe blockages caused by sediment, and slow responses to customer complaints. Of the 268 registered customers in the village, only 90 remain active, while 178 are inactive, despite the overall growth of PDAM customers in Central Aceh Regency from 8,476 in 2020 to 9,035 in 2024. This study aims to analyze the quality of PDAM Tirta Tawar's clean water supply services in Kemili Village and identify the barriers affecting service delivery. A descriptive qualitative approach was employed, with data collected through in-depth interviews, observation, and documentation involving twelve informants from PDAM, village government, community leaders, NGOs, academics, and customers. The findings reveal that the quality of service has not met community expectations in terms of physical evidence, reliability, responsiveness, and empathy. Major problems include aging pipeline infrastructure installed in the late 1980s, sediment accumulation and pipe corrosion, an unscheduled rotational water distribution system, a shortage of field technicians, and ineffective communication with customers. The barriers identified consist of technical constraints, such as damaged pipelines and inadequate filtration; human resource limitations, including insufficient training and lack of written procedures; and institutional issues, such as weak coordination, limited infrastructure funding, and ineffective oversight mechanisms. The study recommends establishing a publicly accessible water distribution schedule, developing a digital complaint system, increasing transparency in service fees, and allocating government funding for pipeline replacement and sustainable PDAM oversight.

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.