Analysis of sanitation system and coliform number in groundwater in Wonosari District, Gunungkidul Regency, Indonesia

Abstract

Sanitation visualizes the environment’s health status, comprising housing, sewage disposal, and clean water provision. In general, sewerage can have on-site and offsite sanitation facilities. The research was conducted to characterize the sanitation system for sewage disposal, determine the water quality from biological parameters, and enumerate coliform bacteria in groundwater for every sanitation system observed in Wonosari District, Gunungkidul Regency, Indonesia. These sets of information can help detect groundwater contamination by coliform that reflects the sanitary characteristics of the sewage disposal to be further considered in sanitation management and treatment policies. The research used purposive sampling, field surveys, interviews with a questionnaire, laboratory analyses, and a descriptive-comparative design. The results showed that the sanitation system for sewage disposal at the study site consisted of individual septic tanks and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). In terms of quality, the coliform counts exceeded the existing standards, with the highest presence found in groundwater downstream of improperly maintained WWTPs and substandard septic tanks close to other sources of pollutants.