Potential application of rain water harvesting technology as an alternative clean water source to mitigate land subsidence

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The limited supply of tap water has implications for the massive usage of groundwater in North Jakarta’s coastal area, that suffer crucial land subsidence. As a result, it is critical to provide alternate sources of sustainable clean water that can minimize groundwater consumption. Considering the climatological factors, rainwater harvesting technology possesses considerable potential and has been utilized in numerous unplanned, densely populated residential regions near the coast. According to that, this study aims to analyze the contribution of rainwater harvesting technology implementation in terms of supply and utilization aspects to reducing groundwater use and meeting clean water needs for mitigating land subsidence in the coastal area of North Jakarta METHODS: This study was conducted in North Jakarta coastal area within a radius of 0—2 kilometers, by conducting survey activities on 148 households who live near the location of the technology installation, as well as collecting the depth wells data, and clean water samples. The purpose of the survey activity is to assist in regression analysis and crosstabulation related to the impact of Rain Water Harvesting technology on reducing land subsidence. FINDINGS: Based on its quality, rainwater harvesting has the potential to support the fulfillment of clean water needs in North Jakarta, especially for sanitation purposes. The quality test results provide additional insight, demonstrating that the clean water derived from the rainwater harvesting system is a safer option for consumption than groundwater from either dug and drilled wells. The groundwater samples tested showed extremely high levels of Total Dissolved Solids (2829 mlligrams per liter), making it extremely dangerous to use for cooking and drinking, as well as sanitation, such as bathing and washing. In terms of quantity, mathematical calculations estimate that the provision of rainwater harvesting installations can support 0.2 percent of clean water for sanitation purposes in each implementation areaThis finding highlights that the perception of rainwater harvesting as a viable solution for fulfilling water demands is a crucial factor influencing the decision to adopt such practices. CONCLUSION: The expanding rainwater harvesting is very related to the mitigating the land subsidence, through the decreasing depending on extracting groundwater as their source of wáter supply. Respondents selected rainwater harvesting as a solution to the difficulties in satisfying clean water demands caused by multiple factors. To encourage greater adoption of this technology, it is crucial to improve the community’s awareness of its effectiveness in addressing their water needs. Strategies such as awareness campaigns, demonstrations, and providing empirical evidence of rainwater harvesting’s effectiveness could help shift community attitudes. In contrast, while the views on the benefits, operational ease, and accessibility of rainwater harvesting hold importance, they do not appear to have a direct and meaningful effect on the adoption of rainwater harvesting in this study.