West Jakarta trials Ecotru bacteria to combat water pollution

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The West Jakarta City Government conducted a trial of Ecotru bacteria to tackle water pollution in the connecting channels (Phb) in the Sentral Primer Barat (SPB) area, Puri Kembangan, on Thursday.

The Assistant for Economy and Development (Asekbang) of West Jakarta, Imron Syahrin, stated that the trial was carried out using a sampling method.

“We took samples for observation of developments over the next five days after mixing with Ecotru bacteria. We want to see if there are any significant changes,” Imron said when confirmed in Jakarta on Thursday.

Ecotru bacteria are said to have considerable resilience, capable of reproducing at temperatures up to 60 degrees Celsius and tolerating levels of Methylene Blue Active Substances (MBAS), or detergent content, up to a maximum of 20,000 units.

To ensure its effectiveness, they have coordinated with the West Jakarta Environmental Agency (Sudin LH) to map MBAS conditions in various rivers in West Jakarta.

Meanwhile, Director of PT Esa Maha Karya Tunggal, Eka Lestari Sinaga, as the collaborator, explained that the process being carried out is a form of river bioremediation. From initial observations, the water channels in the area contain a lot of oil, fat, and thick sediment.

“The condition is quite concerning with the presence of foam, which indicates high soap content or the activity of decomposing dissolved organic waste,” Eka said.

Regarding the application technique, Ecotru bacteria must be prepared for 24 hours before being mixed into the water. Interestingly, the use of these bacteria also impacts the elimination of pests such as flies and maggots.

“These bacteria stop the destructive organic decomposition process in the environment. Because the water becomes cleaner and there is no more decomposition, flies or maggots will not want to live there,” she said.