No Water in Kampong Ayer

Throughout its existence Kampong Ayer residents only had the waters of the river but that water can be salty and normally water is taken from elsewhere.

One of the interesting place names near Sungai Kebun is called Ayer Terkunci or Locked Water. This name was derived if I am not mistaken when the Americans or British mining for coal and oil had water tanks. The water tanks had taps which of course can be turned off or 'locked'. Hence, the area known as Ayer Terkunchi.

The other source of water was the small river near the British Residency or Bubungan Duabelas. The water was piped from the river down to the riverbank and many small boys were asked to go there with all sorts of pots etc to fetch water. If the pots are too heavy, the boat can flip over. The boys then were always scared of being scolded by their parents and the boys would literally flung themselves overboard to retrieve the pots from the river bottom.

Piped water direct to Kampong Ayer started either in 1930s or 1950s. This is an interesting photograph of one of the earliest water pipes dragged from the shore to Kampong Ayer.