Carbon Footprint of Clean Water in Indonesia

Abstract

The local state-owned water company (PDAM) in Indonesia is facing a challenge of an increased demand for sustainable water supply. This study aimed to evaluate the carbon footprint of water from PDAM, and to analyse the correlation between water supply efficiency and water carbon footprint (CFP) in Indonesia. Fuel and electrical consumption of PDAM were accounted for in the water carbon footprint. Pearson’s correlation test was used to analyse the association between the percentage of water supplied from total production and the water carbon footprint. The total greenhouse gas (GHG) emission in 2023 was 28,927 Mt CO₂-eq, with an average of 851 Mt CO₂-eq (± 3,640 Mt CO₂-eq). West Papua had the lowest GHG emissions, while North Sumatra had the highest among other provinces. The average CFP of water in 2023 was 74,496 kg CO₂-eq/m³ (± 247,521 kg CO₂-eq/m³), with the lowest CFP being in Lampung and the highest being in Bali. GHG emissions of PDAM did not directly indicate the CFP from the water supplied, whereas efficiency in water supply determines it. Thus, for PDAMs to lower their CFP, getting more consumers will be beneficial to increase the supply, which decreases the idle capacity of the water treatment plants.