Water consumption and environmental behavior of the residents in Lake Toba water catchment area, North Sumatra, Indonesia

Abstract

One of seventeen points of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is to provide clean water for at least 80% of the global population in 2025. Rural populations living surrounding Lake Toba water catchment area still utilize the lake water for daily use regardless of the susceptible decreasing water quality. This paper describes anthropogenic aspects affecting the water quality of Lake Toba that is consumed as the drinking water source by surrounding residents. The research used a quantitative approach by interviewing 130 household representatives from 3 regencies around the lake to calculate the water consumption and evaluate the water quality in 2018. In addition, this research also assessed the residents' behavior in managing household waste and wastewater. The result showed that the average water consumption is 86,93L/person/day. The majority of the respondents barely treat the water and feel satisfied with the water quality based on its color, turbidity, taste, and odor. On the contrary, the respondents have not adequately treated their domestic waste and household wastewater before being released to the lake, contributing to water pollution. Although most respondents are satisfied with the water quality, it is still needed to perform proper water treatment because the water quality of Lake Toba is reported as slightly up to heavily polluted by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry in 2019.