Morning had not yet fully broken. The atmosphere in Tempursari\nHamlet, Sardonoharjo Village, Ngaglik District, Sleman Regency, Special\nRegion of Yogyakarta, was still quiet. Even so, Suwarni, a local\nresident, was already walking carrying a large container towards the\nwater collection point at an open outlet provided by the Banyu Bening\nRainwater School (SAH).<\/p>\n
This activity has been part of Suwarni\u2019s routine for years. Every two\ndays, usually after dawn prayers, she collects rainwater that has been\ntreated at SAH Banyu Bening to meet her family\u2019s drinking needs. Suwarni\nbrings her own container and returns when the water supply at home runs\nlow.<\/p>\n
For Suwarni, the water processed at SAH Banyu Bening is no longer\nsomething unfamiliar. She has used it since the early days of the\ncommunity\u2019s journey. In fact, Suwarni has been one of the witnesses to\nBanyu Bening\u2019s development, from its initially modest activities to its\ncurrent status as a widely recognised learning centre for visitors from\nvarious regions.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has been 14 years. I collect one large jumbo container every two\ndays. I usually go after dawn prayers. Every two days without fail,\u201d\nSuwarni said during a conversation with Republika in Tempursari Hamlet\non Wednesday (29\/7\/2026).<\/p>\n
Her introduction to Banyu Bening water began when her husband was\nundergoing treatment at a hospital. At that time, their family was\nadvised to try drinking the water processed at Banyu Bening. Since then,\nthe natural water has become part of the family\u2019s daily needs.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy husband was ill at the time. At the hospital, we were told to try\ngiving him this water. \u2018Mbah, drink this water,\u2019 they said. So we\ncollected it and drank it. It took some adaptation. At first it felt\nlike having a constant cold, then constant drowsiness. But over time, we\nfelt our bodies were better and healthier,\u201d Suwarni said.<\/p>\n
Suwarni\u2019s husband also drank Banyu Bening water after receiving\ntreatment from the hospital. \u201cHis body felt better. Since then, we have\ncontinued drinking that water and feel healthy. The children also all\ndrink it,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n
Before getting to know SAH Banyu Bening, Suwarni\u2019s family had always\nrelied on groundwater and wells that were processed for drinking needs.\nHowever, after becoming familiar with the treated rainwater, habits in\ntheir family began to change.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe used to drink tea with sugar. But since having Banyu Bening\nwater, we just drink plain water. If we want it warm, the water is\nboiled and then drunk,\u201d Suwarni said.<\/p>\n
She admitted she was pleased to see the development of SAH Banyu\nBening, which has attracted attention from various groups. According to\nher, more and more people are coming to learn, visit, and use the water\nprovided openly.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow many people come from various regions to learn and visit here.\nBu Ning also travels everywhere to give talks. I feel proud. I hope it\nbecomes a blessing for many people,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Although she lives not far from the site, Suwarni noted that not all\nsurrounding residents have made use of the treated rainwater. She\ntherefore hopes that more people will become aware of and use Banyu\nBening water according to their needs.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople from far away come to use it. If those of us who live nearby\ndo not use it, it is actually a shame. This needs to be improved further\nso that more people benefit,\u201d Suwarni explained.<\/p>\n
The benefits of Banyu Bening are indeed not only felt by residents\naround the site. Over more than a decade, the place has developed into a\nshared learning space about rainwater, the environment, and sustainable\nwater resource management.<\/p>\n
One group that came to learn was students from the State Islamic\nUniversity (UIN) Sunan Kudus. They visited SAH Banyu Bening as part of\ntheir Field Experience Practice (PPL) activities with an ecotheology\ntheme.<\/p>\n
UIN Sunan Kudus student Muamar Gunawan said Banyu Bening is one of\nthe recommended places for studying the relationship between humans, the\nenvironment, and the use of natural resources. Before coming to SAH\nBanyu Bening, he admitted he had views not much different from most\npeople.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur initial aim in joining the PPL from campus was to learn about\necotheology. One of the recommended places is the Banyu Bening Rainwater\nSchool. Here we learn how rainwater is managed as effectively as\npossible so it can be drunk or used for daily needs,\u201d Muamar said.<\/p>\n
For him, rainwater was only understood as ordinary water often\nassociated with discomfort when caught in the rain or even with\ndisasters such as floods. However, Muamar\u2019s view changed after learning\nabout the rainwater treatment process and its various uses.<\/p>\n
He had the opportunity to see first-hand the installation used to\ncollect and treat rainwater. \u201cIn my opinion, it is not complicated. The\nprocess is almost the same as managing refillable water. But this is the\nrainwater version, not using groundwater,\u201d he said.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/banyu-bening-rainwater-school-officially-becomes-a-learning-hub-for-various-groups-1786960350", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }