University students call the Tambak Wedi river near Surabaya a glacier river because it seems to be covered in snow.

The “snow” is caused by wastewater with detergents from surrounding households and small businesses, and a waterpump station nearby that turns the wastewater into foam. The high concentration of phosphate, ammonium and chlorine raises great concern among citizens, who fear that the riverine ecosystem and fishponds nearby are under threat. 

The students think that a joint effort is needed to solve this problem by communities, companies and the local government. The communities by using less harmful detergents, companies by making their product less harmful, and local government by providing wastewater treatment facilities for households.

Click here to see the national TV report on a demonstration by students and the environmental NGO Ecoton.

#zerowaste

#WorldWaterDay

#drinkablerivers

#SDG6