HIMATEK for Cikapundung
By Mandeep Kaur Gill
Editor Mandeep Kaur Gill
BANDUNG, itb.ac.id- HIMATEK for Cikapundung is a community service program in clean water using membrane filtering technology system development. This project was carried out in Manteos village, Jalan Siliwangi province which is at the riverside of Cikapundung. In this province, a third of the residents do not subscribe to PAM because of economical complications. The main source of water is the water from mountains retained in a basin, yet despite alongside ongoing development the water attained is not enough to fulfill the residents’ needs. Thus, ITB Chemical Engineering Student Union (HIMATEK) with a workshop division as organizers tried to help the residents with this technology so they can use the water attained through membrane filtration of Cikapunding river.
On Sunday (11/5), HIMATEK visited the residents to attach the membrane device. But there was a problem- the retaining vessel was not 100% complete.
When the test run was done, the membrane did not function well because there was stone in the pump that blocked the pump’s work. The residents unearthed and cleaned the pump and the pump was tested again, once it was functioning properly the residents placed the membrane in the retaining vessel and started operating. HIMATEK then gave residents a brief training about how operate the membrane.
Present at the event was head of Chemical Enginnering Study Program Head, Dr. IGBN Mekertihatha, Kang Rudi (TK’03) as the pioneers and the project funding resourse, Head of HIMATEK, Bambang Eko Pabowo, representatives of several ITB student unions, KM representatives, journalists, HIMATEK media, Chemical Enginnering 2007 students, heads of Manteos Village RW 13 RT 05 community and the residents.
The event was symbolically concluded on Sunday (25/5) with tape cutting by the head of Chemical Engineering Study Program, Head of RW 13 represented by Pak Muhsin and head of TW 05, Pak Oman.
At the last event, a speech was given by Dani Saputra, head of HIMATEK Workshop saying that for the future the controlling for the membrane would be done 1-2 times every month.