Over-exploitation Makes Jakarta Groundwater Contaminated by E. Coli from Septic Tanks

TEMPO.CO, jakarta – Arief Nasrudin, President Director of PAM JAYA, said that the cause of the contamination of drinking water in Jakarta with E. coli (Escherichia coli) bacteria derived from faeces is overexploitation of groundwater. This makes the soil layer thin, which makes it easy to corrode and the groundwater can be contaminated by human excretions in the septic tank.

“Until now, every household usually has a septic tank near the water well. As there is nothing separating the tanks from the wells, the water is easily contaminated,” Arief told reporters upon meeting them after the “discussion on realizing water sovereignty.” at the Grand Cempaka Hotel, Monday 14th November.

He did not deny that most of Jakarta’s groundwater was polluted by E-coli bacteria. In fact, the level of pollution exceeded normal limits.

“The contamination cannot be completely eliminated, but the current level is not normal,” he said.

The level of E. coli contamination in Jakarta is quite high

According to Arief, the amount of E-coli bacteria in Jakarta is quite large and high, especially in coastal areas. Arief said he could not confirm when the water in Jakarta was contaminated with E-coli bacteria. But the most important thing, he said, is that people are more careful about drinking water.

“Make sure the water is thoroughly boiled to really kill the bacteria,” says Arief.

A February 2022 study by UNICEF found that nearly 70 percent of 20,000 household drinking water sources tested in Indonesia were contaminated with feces, contributing to the spread of diarrhea.

Mutia Yuantisya

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