Impacts of Urban and Industrial Development on Groundwater, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia^*)

by : Soetrisno S.^**)

 

Deterioration of the Groundwater Quality

In the densely populated areas, such as "kampung", are often lack or poor of drainage and sewerage system.

Industrial waste water is in most cases released, without treatment, and if any is not properly treated, into streams or channels (actually prohibited by law), in the basin are primarily from the textile industries.

Surface water pollution, therefore, is obvious in many river course within the "kampung" of downstream section of textile factories by a conspicuous colour of the stream water and by increased salinity and low oxygen saturation.

Wagner et al (1991), noted that Cl and SO₄ concentrations in the shallow groundwater abstracted from dugwells nearby industrial areas are distinctly higher. Concentrations of NO₂ and NH₄ are elevated in many samples from those shallow wells.

No distinctive signs for an impact of industrial organic contaminants have been found in this industrial area.

Rosadi et al (1993) and Matahelumual et al (1995), also noted that elevated heavy metal contents were analysed from shallow wells in industrial areas. Zn (up to 170 ug/l), Cu and Pb have been found in shallow wells in the Leuwigajah industrial area. However, these values are still lower than admissible levels of drinking water standards. Finally Rosadi concluded that the result of a few random samples of shallow groundwater in the Greater Bandung area indicate serious pollution by chlorinated solvents in the industrial area, particularly in the Leuwigajah area.

In the Leuwigajah area, pollution of groundwater in many dugwells or shallow bore holes is indicated by NO₂ of NH₄ contents above 50 ug/l. Elevated contents of halogenated hydrocarbons (AOX values above 30 ug/l), which are certainly derived from industrial pollution, have been found in 10 shallow wells.

High contents of NO₂ (more than 400 ug/l) have been found in fifty percent of the samples collected from shallow wells in the Dayeuhkolot area. However, it is still doubtful whether high NO₂ contents are caused by domestic or industrial waste.

There is no significant differentiation of chemical composition and heavy metal contents in the shallow groundwater from the last analyses compared to results of analyses done in five years back.

Matahelumual also noted that most of groundwater samples from residential compound of ‘kampung’ and nearby the waste disposal site, content of collifom 2400 colonies/100 ml. This figure is much higher than permissible standard (50 colonies/100 ml) for raw drinking water in Indonesia. It is suspected originated from latrines or contaminated water courses.