Clean Water Availability
The growth rate of the Indonesian population is estimated on the average at 1.2% per year and by 2020 it could reach 250 million. The rapid growth of the population will also affect the need for clean water. Unfortunately, data from the Ministry of Health cited that 60% of rivers in Indonesia are polluted, from organic materials to bacteria causing diarrhea such as fecal coliform. River water should be the source of life of surrounding communities but instead the many polluted rivers impact the health of communities. In relation to this, World Water Day is celebrated each year on March 22 and can serve as a reminder to us on the importance of clean water availability and sustainability for human kind.
Water pollution in Indonesia today is quite serious and is caused by such things as domestic waste, such as detergent water, kitchen waste, and human excrement (feces). Wastes are disposed of in various forms: liquid, gas, and solids. Data released by the State of Environment Report (SoER) of the Ministry of Environment in 2012 cited that water pollution in Indonesia has increased especially from domestic sewage. Globally, water pollution is caused by domestic liquid waste, domestic waste, and inappropriate land use. It is compounded by 30% of communities which still defacate in fresh surface water sources. Every day in this country, approximately 14 thousand tonnes of human excrement are yet to be managed properly causing a decrease in water quality.
The Head of the Environmental Pollution Division of the Agency for Development and Application of Technology (BPPT), Rudi Nugroho, talking to Media Indonesia, Tuesday (March 01) admitted that domestic waste coming from detergent is quite high. Consequently, clean water availability which should have been 40%, currently is only 18 %.
It is very important to educate the communities on the importance of maintaining the quality and
availability of water, he said. The communities must learn to stop littering in and around rivers to prevent damage to the ecosystem. This was in line with what was said by the Manager of the Water and Food Campaign of the NGO Walhi, Muhammad Ishlah. He said that, it will need the involvement of the community promote environmental health efforts. “The government's role in the rehabilitation of water quality must also be done sustainably such as to rehabilitate water spring areas. Collaboration between the government and the community must be established.”
Several Solutions
Rudi Nugroho said that there are several solutions to enhance water quality affected by domestic waste. Several measures can be taken by the communiy to neutralize waste water from hazardous materials, i.e. biological, chemical, and physical measurement biological test management is considered relatively inexpensive and efficient by using bacteria which cause precipitation of solid material. “The more microbes, the more decomposition provided there is adjustment of the source of
flow through septic tanks“, he explained.
According to BPS data from a 2012 report, from 2006 to 2011 nationwide the percentage of houses equipped with septic tanks increased from 40.7% to 60.3%. Secondly, physical waste management involves filtering large substances and separating suspensions which are easy to precipitate. Thus the disposed waste water will no longer contain oil or grease. However this process requires a long period of time and is complicated. “As for chemical waste management, it can be done by spreading electrolytes such as alum to eliminate particles which are not easy to precipitate, such as organic compounds.” Other measures can be taken, he added, by creating a separation between bathroom and kitchen wastes. “By that measure, domestic waste will not pollute the environment as it flows into the culverts,“ he proposed. (S-1)
Water pollution in Indonesia today is quite serious and is caused by such things as domestic waste, such as detergent water, kitchen waste, and human excrement (feces). Wastes are disposed of in various forms: liquid, gas, and solids. Data released by the State of Environment Report (SoER) of the Ministry of Environment in 2012 cited that water pollution in Indonesia has increased especially from domestic sewage. Globally, water pollution is caused by domestic liquid waste, domestic waste, and inappropriate land use. It is compounded by 30% of communities which still defacate in fresh surface water sources. Every day in this country, approximately 14 thousand tonnes of human excrement are yet to be managed properly causing a decrease in water quality.
The Head of the Environmental Pollution Division of the Agency for Development and Application of Technology (BPPT), Rudi Nugroho, talking to Media Indonesia, Tuesday (March 01) admitted that domestic waste coming from detergent is quite high. Consequently, clean water availability which should have been 40%, currently is only 18 %.
It is very important to educate the communities on the importance of maintaining the quality and
availability of water, he said. The communities must learn to stop littering in and around rivers to prevent damage to the ecosystem. This was in line with what was said by the Manager of the Water and Food Campaign of the NGO Walhi, Muhammad Ishlah. He said that, it will need the involvement of the community promote environmental health efforts. “The government's role in the rehabilitation of water quality must also be done sustainably such as to rehabilitate water spring areas. Collaboration between the government and the community must be established.”
Several Solutions
Rudi Nugroho said that there are several solutions to enhance water quality affected by domestic waste. Several measures can be taken by the communiy to neutralize waste water from hazardous materials, i.e. biological, chemical, and physical measurement biological test management is considered relatively inexpensive and efficient by using bacteria which cause precipitation of solid material. “The more microbes, the more decomposition provided there is adjustment of the source of
flow through septic tanks“, he explained.
According to BPS data from a 2012 report, from 2006 to 2011 nationwide the percentage of houses equipped with septic tanks increased from 40.7% to 60.3%. Secondly, physical waste management involves filtering large substances and separating suspensions which are easy to precipitate. Thus the disposed waste water will no longer contain oil or grease. However this process requires a long period of time and is complicated. “As for chemical waste management, it can be done by spreading electrolytes such as alum to eliminate particles which are not easy to precipitate, such as organic compounds.” Other measures can be taken, he added, by creating a separation between bathroom and kitchen wastes. “By that measure, domestic waste will not pollute the environment as it flows into the culverts,“ he proposed. (S-1)
Labels: Water Quality
