Implementation of drinking water quality surveillance and household water management practices in selected provinces in Indonesia

Abstract

Safely managed drinking water (SMDW) is a prerequisite for maintaining human health and well-being. Therefore, drinking water quality surveillance (DWQS) is an appropriate approach to achieve the targets of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, particularly the SMDW indicator as the highest ladder of drinking water services. The objective of this study was to elicit information on current DWQS and household drinking water management practices (HDWMP) in South Sumatera, West Java, South Kalimantan, and North Sulawesi Provinces. The methods included an in-depth interview with 35 informants and an interview with 175 households using a structured questionnaire. The results revealed that the DWQS did not fully comply with Health Ministerial Decree (HMD) No. 736/2010, particularly in dealing with sample size, the availability of reagents, comprehensive reports, and recommendations for remedial actions. Dealing with the HDMWP, 46.86% of households used piped water, followed by protected dug wells (30.29%), boreholes (12.00%), and refilled water (10.86%). Only 43.43% of household water sources were free from Escherichia coli, where these were dominated by urban households. The majority of households complied with the chemical quality of several parameters. The proportion of households with SMDW was 35.9% and it was much higher than that of the national level. As such, the improvement of drinking water surveillance is needed through the implementation of water safety plans.