The Faculty of Science and Technology (FST) Universitas Airlangga, along with the Environmental Engineering Study Program, successfully constructed an alternative clean water supply building for the residents of Gili Iyang Island. This clean water supply facility was officially inaugurated on Saturday, May 18, 2024. The inauguration was attended by several lecturers and students from the Environmental Engineering Study Program at Universitas Airlangga, as well as local residents. Additionally, international students from Universitas Tun Hussein (Malaysia) and the University of Haripur (Pakistan) participated in the program.
The program included a series of activities such as analysis and surveys, building planning, construction, community outreach, and the inauguration of the facility. This initiative stemmed from the limited availability of clean water on Gili Iyang Island. The FST Universitas Airlangga team conducted community service by building an alternative clean water installation for the residents. The project was met with an overwhelmingly positive response from the Gili Iyang community.
The clean water supply facility built on Gili Iyang uses a Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) system, which utilizes rainwater. The principle behind this system is to collect rainwater from the roof of the building, which is filtered to separate solid particles. The water is then stored and flows through additional filters before reaching the reservoir. The filtered and stored water is ready for use in the daily needs of the local residents.
The construction of this clean water installation involved several Environmental Engineering students from Universitas Airlangga and local residents, taking approximately five days to complete. Meanwhile, the planning process had been carried out by the team of lecturers and students from the Environmental Engineering Study Program a few days prior. The facility was built in a local resident’s house, which also houses a mosque. This installation can store and process water with a capacity of more than 2,000 liters.
The goal of building this alternative clean water supply installation using the RWH system is to make it easier for residents to access clean water for daily use. By utilizing rainwater as the raw water source, it also prevents rainwater from going to waste. The clean water produced by this installation can be used for various daily activities such as bathing, ablution, washing, and more.
Through this program, the Faculty of Science & Technology of Universitas Airlangga has contributed to SDG Goal 6: “Clean Water and Sanitation.” The RWH installation built by FST UNAIR has ensured the availability and management of clean water for the residents of Gili Iyang Island, where clean water availability was previously below average.
