WATER POLLUTION INDEX IN BATANGHARI RIVER DHARMASRAYA REGENCY, WEST SUMATERA PROVINCE, INDONESIA
Journal: Water Conservation and Management (WCM)
Author: Andri Warsa, Mochammad Zamroni, Dwi Atminarso, Rendy Ginanjar, Muhammad Nizar, Lismining Pujiyani Astuti, Didik Wahju Hendro Tjahjo
Print ISSN : 2523-5664
Online ISSN : 2523-5672
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited
Doi: 10.26480/wcm.03.2025.473.480
ABSTRACT
The Batanghari River is the longest river in Sumatra, exhibiting a significant fish diversity. Settlements, agricultural and plantation lands, together with gold mine activities, have emerged as sources of contaminants that degrade river water quality. This adversely affects biodiversity and public health. This study aimed to assess the water quality of the Batanghari River through physical, chemical, and biological characteristics to inform sustainable management practices. The research was carried out from 2018 to 2023 at five locations by collecting samples on surface water. The observed water quality parameters included iron (Fe), mercury (Hg), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), fecal and total coliforms, pH, water temperature, and total suspended solids (TSS). The water contamination level was assessed using the cumulative pollution index (CPI) and the water pollution index (WPI). The findings indicated that the water quality in the Batanghari River has deteriorated, classified as significantly contaminated temporally and spatially. The CPI and WPI values observed at all stations varied from 2.11-4.21, with an average of 2.79, whereas the range was from 2.04-4.15, with an average of 2.73, and the highest record at station 5. The CPI and WPI values throughout the observation period varied from 2.16-5.5, with an average of 3.29, and from 2.10-5.48, with an average of 3.26, the highest values is in 2022. The concentration of heavy metals has surpassed quality limits in the following order: Fe>Cu>Mn>Hg. The parameters Fe, TSS, fecal coliform, and COD were the characteristics that significantly influence the values of CPI and WPI.
Pages | 473-480 |
Year | 2025 |
Issue | 3 |
Volume | 9 |