Gili Trawangan is currently dealing with a serious disruption to its fresh water supply. The problem started at the beginning of September and has affected local residents as well as hotels, villas, restaurants and tourists staying on the island.
The regular water supply stopped around midnight on 3 September 2026. The interruption is connected to the seawater reverse osmosis system, known as SWRO, which produces fresh water from seawater and has been supplying parts of Gili Trawangan.
This is not a case of the island simply running out of water because of dry weather. According to the West Nusa Tenggara provincial government, the interruption is linked to regulatory and legal issues surrounding the water supply system. Authorities are now working with the central government and other parties to find a solution.
Hotels and tourists have already been affected
The shortage quickly became noticeable in the tourism sector.
Lalu Kusnawan, chairman of the Gili Trawangan Hotel Association and the NTB branch of the Indonesian Hotel General Manager Association, said that around 300 tourists had checked out early by 5 September because of problems with the water supply.
Some accommodation providers were forced to find their own temporary solutions. Kusnawan said that some hotels had even used water from their swimming pools for sanitation, while tourism businesses were also bringing fresh water over from mainland Lombok. This is considerably more expensive and has not been enough to replace the normal supply across the island.
The situation does not mean that every hotel on Gili Trawangan is completely without water. Properties with their own storage or alternative supplies may be affected much less than others. The situation can therefore vary significantly from one accommodation to another.
Emergency water is being brought to Gili Trawangan
The local government and PDAM Amerta Dayan Gunung have started emergency water distribution.
North Lombok Regent Najmul Akhyar said PDAM was prepared to provide around 70 cubic metres of water per day to Gili Trawangan. The estimated requirement for approximately 600 local households was reported at around 60 to 70 cubic metres per day.
However, the amount being delivered has been described locally as insufficient when the needs of the island’s tourism businesses are taken into account. On 8 September, Gili Trawangan village head M. Husni told Lombok Post that emergency deliveries were still far below the volume normally supplied through the SWRO system.
Why was the water supply stopped?
The SWRO system is operated by PT Tiara Cipta Nirwana together with the local water utility.
The current dispute involves permits and regulations connected with the operation of the system, including the use of marine space. Provincial officials have said that several government bodies are involved in the permitting process, which has made finding a permanent solution more complicated.
On 7 September, the North Lombok government agreed to a new six-month temporary discretion intended to allow PT Tiara Cipta Nirwana to resume supplying water while the outstanding permits are resolved with the central government.
Authorities have also stressed that they want a permanent solution rather than repeatedly relying on temporary exceptions.
Is the water supply back to normal?
As of 10 September 2026, we have not found reliable confirmation that the normal water supply across Gili Trawangan has been fully restored.
The latest reports from 9 September still describe the situation as an ongoing water crisis and say regional authorities are asking Indonesia’s Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries to help resolve the outstanding permits.
Emergency water supplies are continuing in the meantime.
Should you still travel to Gili Trawangan?
There is currently no official advice telling tourists to avoid Gili Trawangan.
However, anyone travelling to the island over the next few days should contact their hotel or accommodation before arrival and ask whether they currently have a reliable water supply. The situation differs between properties, so your hotel will be able to give you much more useful information than a general update about the island.
If you are already staying on Gili Trawangan and your accommodation has sufficient water, there is no indication that you need to leave the island simply because of the wider supply problem.
