JAKARTA: The 137-kilometer-long Cisadane River, flowing from the foot of Mount Salak in Bogor through Serpong toward Tangerang, has recorded a significant downturn in water quality.
Currently used as a drinking water source by those living nearby, its content of chemical particles has been reported to go beyond the standard measurements of regular drinking water, Republika reported.
Asep Jatnika, the head of the Tangerang branch of the Indonesian Environment Management Board (BLHI), stated that collected samples from four different banks, at Kranggan, Cihuni, Gading and Kali Biru bridges, in March 2010 revealed that "the biological oxygen demand *BOD* reaches up to 3 milligrams per liter, whereas the normal limit is 2 milligrams per liter".
"Its chemical oxygen demand *COD* has also reached 29 milligrams per liter, when it shouldn't be more than 18 milligrams." Asep also stated that the total E. coli and T-Coliform count in the river water is beyond the normal level.
"Basically, it is no longer safe to use Cisadane River as a drinking water source," said Halimah Syafrul, the head of Environment Management Center (Sarpedal) of the Office of the State Minister for the Environment.
It is believed that the careless disposal of domestic pollutants such as household waste as well as human and animal feces washed down the river and various types of market waste have increased the level of harmful chemical particles.
The Environmental Management Body of West Java back in 2007 reported that the flowing water of Cisadane River no longer met the criteria of regular drinking water stated within Government Regulation No. 82/2001.
It was reported that crucial parameters such as BOD, COD, E. coli and T-Coliform bacteria have had their safe levels breached. In addition, the levels of chemical particles such as nitrate (N02), ammonia (NH3), chlorinated paraffin (C12), phenol, T-phosphate (PO4) and other heavy metals have risen drastically. - JP
