Anwar Siswadi (Kontributor), Bandung – Lecturers and researchers from the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), James Nobelia Isnania Wardhana, designed an active filter technology to filter groundwater.
This water filtering innovation was created to help the residents of Guwa Lor Village in Kaliwedi District, Cirebon Regency, West Java.
Residents had previously discovered a new water source using a spring detection tool. After passing through the filter, the water pumped from the ground is filtered. The water, initially containing iron and tasting salty and even smelly, becomes clean and drinkable.
A communal clean water supply program assists the residents and is supported by Rumah Amal Salman and YBM Brilian. The local community utilized shallow water sources, adapting the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) program.
The Manager of Rumah Amal Salman, ITB, Mipi Ananta Kusuma, said that water passing through active filtration will be collected in two tanks with a total capacity of 80 cubic meters. "Subsequently, clean water is distributed to residents' homes," he said in a written statement on Thursday, November 21, 2024.
Residents of Guwa Lor Village distribute water through pipes to maintain its quality and cleanliness. In the initial stage, the provision of clean water cost around Rp 600 million. The filtered water is channeled to 350 houses, which house 1,600 people. The houses supplied with water are within a 500-meter radius of the central point of the clean water installation.
Mipi estimates that the recently started clean water assistance project will be completed in four months. Water users will pay a fee for maintenance needs and funding for implementing similar programs in the surrounding areas.
One resident of Guwa Lor Village, Syafrudin, stated that the majority of the residents in his area work as farmers. For decades, they have faced challenges in accessing clean water for household needs. Besides being cloudy, the water's iron content exceeds the limit, making it unsuitable for consumption.
"We have experienced a clean water shortage for 70 years, approximately since this village was established," said Syafrudin.
– Anwar Siswadi, Yohanes Paskalis