Issues surrounding adequate sanitation remain a serious challenge for communities across Indonesia, particularly in rural areas and urban slums. Statistics Indonesia (BPS) reported in 2023 that around 17-20 percent of households still lack access to safe sanitation. In addition, many household-scale industries and community economic activities generate untreated wastewater, including food processing (such as tofu production and other processed foods), small-scale livestock businesses, and residents’ residual waste processing.
Professor Nizam of the Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FT UGM), is currently developing a Tripikon-S system equipped with a micro-bubble aeration generator to manage household-scale wastewater.
The technology is now being implemented in a duck farming area in Wirosobo Tourism Village, Sorosutan, Umbulharjo, Yogyakarta City. Wirosobo Village is actively developing duck farming and horticulture businesses, with these sites also serving as educational tourism destinations.
“Unfortunately, wastewater from the livestock facilities has not been properly treated, causing odor, aesthetic issues, and pollution to nearby rivers and surrounding areas,” said Professor Nizam at UGM on Tuesday (Dec. 2).
According to Professor Nizam, if these issues are not immediately resolved, pollution from micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) activities will become an environmental hazard for local residents and, cumulatively, a regional environmental problem.
Water pollution can reduce dissolved oxygen levels, potentially leading to fish mortality, while air pollution produces unpleasant odors.
“This will certainly be disruptive. In tourism areas, especially, such conditions will inevitably diminish the site’s attractiveness. Beyond impacting the health and comfort of residents, aesthetic pollution can significantly reduce the appeal of the tourism village,” he added.
Although some waste from the livestock facilities can be processed into compost, the liquid waste is generally discharged directly into the environment, ultimately polluting rivers and groundwater. To address this issue, Tripikon-S, equipped with a microbubble generator, offers an effective solution for wastewater management.
Professor Nizam explained that Tripikon-S was originally developed by the late Professor Hardjoso Prodjopangarso, a UGM Engineering lecturer, in the early 1990s to address sanitation problems in tidal transmigration areas.
“This device is suitable for use in areas with high groundwater levels where septic tanks cannot be built to manage toilet waste,” he explained.
Furthermore, he noted that Tripikon-S has been successfully implemented in tidal transmigration zones, densely populated settlements, and fishing villages such as Morodemak.
The management of wastewater from duck farming and the Wirosobo Islamic Learning Garden is part of an effort to introduce appropriate technology that creates a healthy, comfortable environment for both learning and tourism activities at the Wirosobo Dakwah Garden and Duck Farm.
Professor Nizam stated that Tripikon-S serves as an alternative septic system for treating toilet waste and household wastewater.
Its name derives from its structure: three (tri) concentric (konsentris) pipes forming a septic system—the innermost pipe functions as an anaerobic chamber for processing fecal matter. The treated liquid then flows into the larger outer pipe for aerobic processing.
“Through this system, the effluent discharged from Tripikon-S is safe for release into water bodies or infiltration into soak pits,” he explained.
Author: Agung Nugroho
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya
Illustration: Freepik