Potential Pollution Loads of the Cikembar Sub-Watershed to the Cicatih River, West Java, Indonesia

The Cicatih River in the Cikembar sub-watershed, located in Sukabumi Regency, flows along the upstream of the Cikembar sub-watershed and Palabuhan Ratu Bay. For decades, the river has served as a vital water resource, catering to various needs such as domestic use, agriculture, livestock, fisheries, industry, mining, tourism, and hydroelectric power. Recently, the Sukabumi Regency Government made the pollution of coastal and river areas one of the priority issues on sustainable development initiatives for the Sukabumi Regency. This highlights the importance of managing the Cicatih River, one of the main rivers in the regency. This research aims to analyze the potential pollution loads in the Cikembar sub-watershed to the Cicatih River by assessing its water quality status and potential pollution loads from four main sectors: domestic, agricultural, livestock, and industrial. The water quality was calculated based on the Pollution Index method. The potential pollution load from different sources was analyzed using various emission factor calculations. For each pollutant source, the following parameters were analyzed: total suspended solids (TSS), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), Total-N (nitrogen), and Total-P (phosphorus). Results showed that the condition of the Cicatih River is slightly polluted. The parameter exceeding its maximum threshold is BOD. The largest contributor to the potential pollution load of BOD is the domestic sector (53%), while the agricultural sector is the least (2%). In the domestic sector, Bojongkembar Village is the largest contributor to the potential pollution load. The results of this analysis can be used to develop strategies for managing the overall Cikembar sub-watershed

Perceptions of Drinking Water Service of the ‘Off-Grid’ Community in Cimahi, Indonesia

From MDPI via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: accepted 2021-05-13, pub-electronic 2021-05-17Publication status: PublishedFunder: Newton Fund; Grant(s): pfact 71290Funder: Kementerian Riset dan Teknologi/Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional; Grant(s): 2/E1/KP.PTNBH/2020, 2/E1/KP.PTNBH/2021The establishment of decentralized drinking water systems in urban areas is technically and financially feasible, and these ‘off-grid’ systems can complement investment in traditional piped water systems. However, users often see ‘off-grid’ systems as the second-best option, compared to citywide piped water systems. Thus, although they are designed to improve access to water and reduce inequality, they can be perceived by users as infrastructural manifestations of extant inequality. In this paper, we present original research on the perceptions of users in Cimahi, Indonesia, surrounding their access to water and willingness to use and maintain ‘off-grid’ infrastructure. The majority of respondents used groundwater and packaged water as their primary water sources, and paid approximately twice the maximum tariff of piped water service. We interpreted the survey data with the theory of planned behavior framework and determined that respondents demonstrated a willingness to pay fees for ‘off-grid’ water systems, participate in water supply programs, and switch to new water sources. These intentions were affected by their attitude towards the behavior, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control to various degrees. The findings are useful for those designing strategies to introduce novel water delivery systems aimed at improving water access for diverse and disadvantaged socioeconomic groups in urban areas in the Global South

Development of a Cost Effective River Water Quality Index: A Case Study of West Java Province, Indonesia

Having good water quality is important for a healthy river. However, it is difficult to quantify the state of river water quality due to the large choice of possible water quality parameters used to describe it. On the other hand, insufficient funding, particularly in developing countries, is one of the most common constraints towards monitoring all water quality parameters of a river as it is laborious and expensive. Given these facts, Water Quality Indices (WQIs) have been one of the most commonly used approaches across the world in evaluating river water quality effectively. A WQI is a useful tool to define the state of water quality in a body of water which can be used for decision making and operational management by the water authorities. It can also be used to compare the water quality of rivers spatially and temporarily, and to provide water quality status reports to policy makers and the public in a simple and an understandable manner

Uncertainty and Sensitivity Analysis of the Effective Implementation of Water Quality Improvement Programs for Citarum River, West Java, Indonesia

Pollution of rivers is a challenge for many countries. In the Citarum watershed, Indonesia, where pollution has been an emerging issue nationwide, many programs and policies have been set up. However, implementation of all the planned programs and the significance of their contributions toward water quality improvement of the Citarum River have not been analyzed. In this paper, we present original research on evaluating water quality programs planned to achieve outputs by using uncertainty and sensitivity analysis for a river. The essential inputs included: (1) key parameters, (2) priority planned programs, and (3) interrelationships between programs, parameters, and the level of successfulness of water quality control programs. The first and second inputs were prepared simultaneously using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). The latter was obtained using the Delphi method to obtain the related stakeholders’ opinions. Finally, we explore Monte Carlo simulation to analyze parameter uncertainty and sensitivity contributing to the program’s effectiveness. By implementing all the water quality control programs, the results showed that cadmium, BOD, and fecal coliform were the most affected parameters. In addition, the most effective programs to improve the pollution index were domestic waste, farming, solid waste, and water resource programs. If those programs were implemented collectively, the probability of reducing the pollution index was within a range 2.01–36.22% from the base case