PENGARUH KETEBALAN MEDIA FILTRASI PASIR SUNGAI DAN ARANG SEKAM PADI UNTUK PENJERNIHAN AIR SUNGAI

Water is one of the most essential natural resources for human life. However,
the quality of river water has increasingly declined due to pollution, especially from
domestic waste and human activities around riverbanks. This study aims to
determine the effectiveness of filtration media composed of rice husk charcoal, river
sand, gravel, and river stones in improving the water quality of the Krueng Aceh
River. The parameters tested include pH, Total Suspended Solids (TSS), and
Dissolved Oxygen (DO). The research method used was an experimental laboratory
approach with a quantitative analysis. River water samples were filtered using three
variations of filter media and tested before and after filtration. The results showed
that the filtration media effectively reduced TSS levels by up to 69.83%, maintained
pH within the quality standard range (6.5–6.66), and decreased DO levels by
36.51%, although still within acceptabel limits. Based on these results, it can be
concluded that the natural filtration media used in this study is effective in
improving river water quality for non-consumptive domestic use.
Keywords: Filtration, pH, TSS, DO, Krueng Aceh River