Digital Repository Universitas Jember JOURNAL OF WATER AND LAND DEVELOPMENT e-ISSN 2083-4535 Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN), Committee on Agronomic Sciences JOURNAL OF WATER AND LAND DEVELOPMENT Section of Land Reclamation and Environmental Engineering in Agriculture 2020, No. 47 (X–XII): 135–141 Institute of Technology and Life Sciences (ITP) https://doi.org/10.24425/jwld.2020.135040 Available (PDF): http://www.itp.edu.pl/wydawnictwo/journal; http://journals.pan.pl/jwld Received 03.03.2020 River water quality assessment in East Java, Reviewed 20.04.2020 Accepted 03.06.2020 Indonesia Elida NOVITA 1), Hendra A. PRADANA 2) , Bambang H. PURNOMO 1), Amelia I. PUSPITASARI2) 1)University of Jember, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Jalan Kalimatan No. 37, Kampus Tagalboto, Jember, Jawa Timur, 68121, Indonesia 2) University of Jember, Postgraduate, Jalan Kalimatan No. 37, Kampus Tagalboto, Jember, Jawa Timur, 68121, Indonesia For citation: Novita E., Pradana H.A., Purnomo B.H., Puspitasari A.I. 2020. River water quality assessment in East Java, Indonesia. Journal of Water and Land Development. No. 47 (X–XII) p. 135–141. DOI: 10.24425/jwld.2020.135040. Abstract This study aims to assess the water quality and determine the pollution index of the Bedadung River in the urban-area segment of Jember Regency, East Java. The sampling in the urban segment of Jember was conducted in May 2019 at five different locations, namely Slamet Riyadi Street, Mastrip Street, Bengawan Solo Street, Sumatra Street, and Imam Bonjol Street. The pollution index assessment refers to the Decree of the State Minister for the Environment of Indonesia Republic number 115 of 2003. The analysis showed that the parameters of TDS, TSS, pH, COD, BOD, NH3-N, Co, Cd, Cu, – Zn, H2S, Cl , SO4, oil and fats, MBAS, NO2-N, Fe, Pb, F, Cl2, NO3-N, phenol, and As did not exceed the quality standards. The parameters PO4, CN, total coliform, and faecal coliform were found to breach the quality standards at the 5 water sam- pling points. Total coliform and faecal coliform were the dominant pollutants in this segment. Therefore, the parameters of PO4, total coliform, and faecal coliform were considered as indicators of pollution arising from domestic and agricultural activities. The pollution index values for the five sampling locations ranged from 7.21 to 8.23. These scores indicate that the Bedadung River section that passes through the urban segment in Jember is classified as being in the moderately pollut- ed category. This preliminary rapid assessment is therefore one of the considerations for the management of water quality in the Bedadung River section that passes through the urban area of Jember. Key words: Jember Regency, microbiology parameters, physicochemical parameters, pollution index, the Bedadung River, water quality monitoring INTRODUCTION ganic and inorganic waste, urban development, and poor water resource management systems [HUANG et al. 2017; Deterioration in the quality of water resources is one MATEO-SAGATA et al. 2017]. of the most critical problems facing the world today and Water pollution is a primary issue in both Asia and Af- has an adverse impact on human health. The low quality of rica owing to the impact on water sources from the low drinking water and raw water resources has been a factor level of sanitation facilities and wastewater treatment units in various deaths around the world [BABA, TAYFUR 2011; [DWIVEDI 2017; EVANS et al. 2016; YUSTIANI et al. 2018]. DWIVEDI 2017; HASEENA et al. 2017; KIDO et al. 2009; This condition is also prevalent in Indonesian territory. PAWARI, GAWADE 2015]. Besides, low public awareness There is empirical evidence to show that 44 major rivers in of the environment and increasing economic activity have Indonesia, including the Musi, Citarum, Ciliwung, Brantas, the potential to exacerbate the levels of pollution already and Barito Rivers, do not meet class ii quality standards. found in water sources [CHEN et al. 2012; LEE et al. 1982]. Despite this, the territory of Indonesia is estimated to po- In general, the sources of this pollution comprise anthro- tentially include 6% of the world’s sources of fresh water. pogenic activities in the form of domestic waste, industrial- It had the potential to be the world’s fifth-largest fresh wa- ization, population growth, pesticides and fertilizers, or- ter source in 2012 [ADB 2016]. However, an exponential © 2020. The Authors. Published by Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN) and Institute of Technology and Life Sciences (ITP). This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/). Digital Repository Universitas Jember 136 E. NOVITA, H.A. PRADANA, B.H. PURNOMO, A.I. PUSPITASARI increase in water consumption combined with a deteriora- assessment can become a consideration for controlling pol- tion in the quality of water resources has created a range of lution and managing river water quality in urban areas to problems with regard to the supply of clean water provide sustainable raw water sources. [KRANTZBERG et al. 2010; LEE et al. 1982]. The phenome- non of river or surface water resources pollution is impact- MATERIALS AND METHODS ed by policies in Indonesia that do not seek to maximize environmental control and monitoring [FULAZZAKY 2014; STUDY AREA AND INPUT DATA MARSELINA, BURHANUDIN 2017]. The quality of the water contained in water bodies has Bedadung Watershed is one of the largest watersheds a tendency to fluctuate, as shown in the Indonesian Water in East Java and includes Jember. The Bedadung River has Quality Index (WQI); however, the water quality fell dur- a total length of 46,875 m. The river passes through an area ing the period 2015–2017 [KLHK 2018]. The WQI pre- in Jember that includes the Patrang, Sumbersari, and Kali- sents a concern for the government in East Java. There, the wates districts. The land use in Bedadung Watershed com- WQI value is <40, which places it in the unfavourable cat- prises forests, settlements, paddy fields, and grasslands egory and means improvement must be included as a prior- [PRADANA et al. 2019a]. ity for Indonesia. The Bedadung River is one of the most strategic rivers Water quality assessment in Bedadung River (Jember in East Java and is located in the Bedadung Watershed in Regency) limited on oxygen and organic matter parameter Jember. It is used by the community and stakeholders as i.e DO, BOD, and COD. The Bedadung River has good a source of both raw water and irrigation water. Therefore, function to biodegradable pollutant reduction. It is indicat- it is used for washing, bathing, and toilet activities [MU- ed by reoxygenation rate > deoxygenation rate of the Be- NANDAR, EURIKA 2016]. However, the physical and chem- dadung River [PRADANA et al. 2019a]. Water quality status ical water quality of the Bedadung River has already been have to notice physical, chemical, and microbiological pa- affected by pollution in some districts, including the Pa- rameters. trang, Sumbersari, Kaliwates, and Mangli Districts [NUR- Decree of the State Minister for the Environment No. JANAH et al. 2015]. In 2016, the Bedadung River had 115 of 2003 [Keputusan Menteri Lingkungan Hidup No. a very poor category on the parameters of BOD, COD, 115 tahun 2003] concerning the determination of water TSS, and Total Coliform [East Java Environment Agency quality status permits the use of the pollution index as 2017]. In other cases, PRADANA et al. [2019b] reported that a basic reference for pollution control. It is preliminary the COD value of the water intake at Jember Regency Mu- rapid approach which minimize data volume i.e. physical, nicipal Waterworks exceeded the class I quality standards chemical, and microbiological parameters to describe most in 2017. of the water quality status. The pollution index results for The pollutants in the Bedadung River usually derive surface water resources in Indonesia, i.e., rivers and coastal from anthropogenic activities such as domestic and resi- areas, can be used to illustrate the magnitude of the poten- dential liquid waste, rubbish, livestock, agriculture, and the tial pollution [EFFENDI 2016; PUSPITA et al. 2016; TAL- activities of small and medium Enterprises. In line with LAR, SUEN 2015; TANJUNG et al. 2019]. this, AZIZA et al. [2018] stated that urban activity is the This study aims to assess the water quality and deter- dominant factor affecting the high pollution load in the mine the pollution index of the Bedadung River in an Kalijompo River, which is a tributary of the Bedadung urban-area segment of Jember Regency, East Java. The River. Fig. 1. Sampling location; source: own elaboration Digital Repository Universitas Jember River water quality assessment in East Java, Indonesia 137 The research sampling for this study was carried out in Table 1. Standard’s values and analytical methods for water qual- the Bedadung River, specifically in the urban segment of ity parameters Jember, in May 2019. The river water was sampled at Parameter Unit Standard Analytical method a total of five locations, i.e., (1) Slamet Riyadi Street – Temperature °C ±3 APHA 2550 B 2017 Patrang District; (2) Mastrip Street – Sumbersari District; TDS mg∙dm–3 1000 APHA 2540 C 2017 (3) Bengawan Solo Street – Sumbersari District; (4) Suma- TSS mg∙dm–3 50 APHA 2540 D 2017 tra Street – Sumbersari District; and (5) Imam Bonjol pH – 6–9 APHA 4500-H+-B 2017 COD mg∙dm–3 10.0 APHA 5220 B 2017 Street – Kaliwates District. It was divided into three cate- –3 gories, i.e., the upstream of the river in Patrang District, the BOD mg∙dm 2.0 APHA 5210 B 2017 DO mg∙dm–3 6.0 APHA 4500-O B 2017 middle of the river in Sumbersari District, and the down- Ammonia total –3 mg∙dm 0.5 APHA 4500-NH3-F 2017 stream of the river in Kaliwates District.