Effect of River Sand and Rice Husk Charcoal Filter Media Thickness on the Purification of River Water

Abstract

River water in Indonesia has experienced significant quality degradation due to domestic, industrial, and agricultural pollution. This study aims to analyze the effect of river sand and rice husk charcoal filter media thickness on the reduction of water quality parameters in the Krueng Aceh River, including pH, Total Suspended Solids (TSS), and Dissolved Oxygen (DO). The research method employed a laboratory experiment with three variations of media thickness. The results showed that the filtration media reduced TSS by up to 69.83%, maintained pH within the quality standard range (6.5–6.66), and reduced DO by 36.51% while remaining within the permissible limit. In conclusion, the combination of river sand and rice husk charcoal is effective for river water purification for non-consumptive domestic purposes.