Palangka Raya Students Present Peat-Water Filter Innovation to Regional Representatives Council
Palangka Raya (ANTARA) - Agustin Teras Narang, a member of Indonesia’s Regional Representatives Council (DPD RI) from Central Kalimantan, said he was proud of research and innovation by students at SMAN 3 Palangka Raya. Their “pure-peat filter” uses local materials to improve water quality.
“The research and innovation will also be entered in the 2026 national Young Researchers Competition at the University of Indonesia,” Teras said on Monday, speaking from Palangka Raya.
He made the remarks after meeting six students from SMAN 3 Palangka Raya and hearing them present their work at his office at the DPD RI in Jakarta.
The students were team leader Geovan Marvellino, Chintya Putri Jasmine, Gladys Nathazia Ananda Debint, Katherine Allusia Handra, Marsel U and Raelynn Telabang Narang. They were accompanied by their supervising teacher, Robintang Sitorus.
The students’ research, called the pure-peat filter, is a system designed to clarify peat water while raising its pH, using materials available in Central Kalimantan. The filter uses purun plants, charcoal made from wood waste, sand from Tangkiling, sand from the Kahayan River and gravel.
The use of local materials is one of the innovation’s advantages, as it could be developed into a water-treatment technology that is easier to apply in peatland areas.
According to the team’s research and laboratory tests, the device raised peat water’s pH from 4.0 to 6.5, while its clarity reportedly improved by up to 60 per cent.
The findings point to the potential of the PURE-PEAT FILTER as an alternative technology for treating peat water. However, further testing is still needed to confirm its effectiveness and ensure the safety of the filtered water before it is used for drinking.
Teras, who is also a visiting lecturer at a private university in Jakarta, said the students’ research was relevant to Central Kalimantan’s geography. The province has extensive peatland areas and faces challenges in providing clean water.
He said the students’ innovation showed how research at school age could be directed towards solutions to real problems faced by the community.