TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Jakarta Environmental Agency revealed that 36-71 percent of water quality monitoring points across the city's rivers consistently show heavily contaminated conditions over the past four years.
Several points that were heavily contaminated in previous years shifted to moderately contaminated in 2024. However, this slight improvement has not changed the overall assessment that severe pollution still dominates Jakarta's waterways.
"This indicates the need for intervention in waste management and improvement of domestic and industrial wastewater governance," said Erni Pelita Fitratunnisanya, Head of the Pollution Control and Environmental Damage Division at Jakarta's Environmental Agency, in a written statement on Friday, July 18, 2025.
Erni explained that Jakarta's rivers are contaminated by, among other things, wastewater from washing, bathing, and general household waste (greywater). She noted that most Jakarta residents directly dispose of dishwashing and cooking water into the drainage system without proper pre-treatment.
"Many houses in densely populated and slum settlements do not have a proper waste treatment system," she said, adding, "All of this waste is directly disposed of, thus polluting the water bodies."
Similar conditions are found not only in residential areas but also in businesses such as tofu factories, laundries, livestock farms, slaughterhouses, restaurants, and workshops that lack proper waste treatment systems.
Erni stated that her agency will coordinate with regional work units, sub-district and district units, and local mayor's offices to guide Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in managing their wastewater.
Some markets, she revealed, also contribute significantly to the problem due to inadequate waste treatment systems. "Wastewater from trading activities such as meat, vegetables, and even organic waste flows directly into the river with very high pollutant content," she explained.
Erni emphasized the importance of every business entity being connected to an integrated wastewater treatment network. This effort, she believes, can significantly reduce pollutants in the water and help achieve safe environmental quality standards.
Therefore, the Jakarta Environmental Agency, Erni said, will enhance its handling and prevention measures through a collaborative and integrated approach. This includes conducting educational activities in densely populated areas and for business operations, in addition to expanding the network of domestic Wastewater Treatment Plants (IPAL) through cross-sectoral cooperation.
She also added the necessity of "enforcing regulations on businesses that do not have a waste treatment system."
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