Integrating One-Health Approaches: Total & Fecal Coliform Contamination from Wastewater to River Systems and Its Implications for Clean Water and Agriculture (Case Study: Garut Regency, Indonesia)

Water quality is crucial for public health, food security, and ecological balance. In heavily utilized water resources, the risk of microbial contamination, indicated by total and fecal coliforms, increases, posing significant public health and environmental challenges. These coliforms are key indicators used to assess water quality and treatment effectiveness. The objective of this study is to investigate the pathways and impact of total and fecal coliform contamination from wastewater to river systems in Garut Regency, Indonesia, and to assess its implications for clean water resources and agricultural practices. We assessed the levels of total and fecal coliforms in wastewater, well water used for drinking water source, as well as in river water used for agricultural irrigation across different areas of Garut Regency, Indonesia. The laboratory analysis showed that fecal and total coliform levels in the Cigulampeng River in Garut Kota Sub-District surpassed the standards outlined in Government Regulation No. 22 of 2021, Class II, which is intended for irrigation. Additionally, the total coliform levels in well water from Karangpawitan Sub-District exceeded the safe limits for drinking water. In Tarogong Kidul Sub-District, both residential river water and a company's well water were found to be unsuitable for irrigation and drinking, respectively, due to elevated coliform levels.