ASSESSMENT OF SURFACE WATER QUALITY FOR IRRIGATION PURPOSES IN JEMBER DISTRICT, INDONESIA

Abstract

Irrigated agriculture is dependent on an adequate water supply of usable quality. The analysis of physico­chemical parameters of surface water inJember District was done for the criteria of irrigation water quality. Surface water comprises spring water, falls, rivers, and tertiary irrigation channels. For this purpose, three sectors or locations were chosen to take twenty seven water samples in the summer season (September to October, 2013). DO, electrical conductivity (ECw), pH, and water temperature values were measured directly in the field,while analyses of nitrate (NH3-N), orthophosphate, total dissolved solids (TDS), and bicarbonate (HCO3-) was conducted in a laboratory. The results indicated that ECw, TDS, pH, water temperature,NH3-N, and orthophosphate were under the limits set out by the Rules of the Republic of Indonesia Government (PP RI) No. 82, 2001, for water quality standard and FAO for irrigation water quality standard. Thus, the surface water of Jember District was considered to be suitable for irrigation at the sampled location. Keywords : Surface water quality; irrigation; physico-chemical parameter; Jember District.