Determination pollution load capacity of Ngrowo River as wastewater receiver from hospital activities

Abstract

Industrialization and domestic activities very potentially to contribute water pollution addition especially into a river. One of domestic activities that may produce wastewater is a hospital activity. Public Regional Hospital in Tulungagung is located at Kedungwaru that will developed in order to further support the existing infrastructure. Assessment towards water quality and load pollution capacity of Ngrowo River as wastewater receiver is very important before hospital development began. The method used in this research was mass balance method, pollution index to determine of water pollution status based on the parameters of temperature, pH, total suspended solids (TSS), dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), nitrate and phosphate. The quality parameters obtained in this study were compared with the class II water quality standard. The maximum pollutant load was calculated to determine the pollution load capacity. The result show that water quality of Ngrowo River was categorized in low pollution (around 3.75 – 3.99 for index pollution) based on class of II of water quality standard. Load pollution capacity at downstream have exceeded 28,673.3 kg/day for BOD and 34,339.3 kg/day for COD in existing condition. Based on the findings in this study, it is recommended that hospitals are obliged to have wastewater treatment plant installed. Such approach is critical to maintain the quality of surroundings environments as well as to prevent water pollution to occur.