Five institutions and companies in Yogyakarta and Central Java have been awarded by Groundwater Working Group, (GWWG) Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada, for their efforts in groundwater protection. They are Sidomuncul herbal medicine company, Coca-Cola Amatil, Tirta Investama (Danone Aqua), Sardjito General Hospital, and local water company PDAM Tirtamarta Yogyakarta.
Head of Geology Engineering Department, Dr. Ir. Heru Hendrayana, said the five organisations had been selected previously based on Groundwater Protection Assessment Matrix being developed by GWWG UGM. “The tool that we develop can assess how far companies make efforts to protect groundwater resources,” he said alongside the award presentation in Grha Sabha Pramana UGM on Wednesday (13/9).
Heru said those organisations had been audited by credible assessors that comprise of groundwater experts. “We consider that the five organisations deem to pass the selection,” he said.
A member of GWWG UGM, Dr. Wahyu Wilopo, said the criteria of assessment matrix were based on the groundwater conservation efforts that are carried out by the companies. Furthermore, they measured the quality and quantity of the groundwater that is used as well as the efforts to protect the groundwater. “Each organisation may not take groundwater randomly, they have to know the depth, the location whether it is in green zone or whether they provide water catchment place or other conservation efforts, such as tree planting,” he said.
Going forward, the five organisations would still be evaluated in terms of groundwater protection efforts.Wahyu said the groundwater protection assessment matrix would be developed further, even to be certified nationally and internationally to be an established reference for groundwater resource utilisation assessment.