Jurnal Pendidikan Teknologi dan Kejuruan
Vol 9 No 2 (2026): Regular Issue

Spatial modeling of water pollution parameters using inverse distance weighting in the Batanghari River, Indonesia

Adella Masya Putri (Department of Environmental Engineering, Sekolah Tinggi Teknologi Industri Padang, Indonesia)
Yaumal Arbi (Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Negeri Padang, Indonesia)
Suci Handayani (Department of Environmental Engineering, Sekolah Tinggi Teknologi Industri Padang, Indonesia)
Shinta Rahayu (Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Negeri Padang, Indonesia)



Article Info

Publish Date
06 May 2026

Abstract

The Batanghari River, one of the largest rivers in Sumatra, Indonesia, serves as a vital transportation corridor and supports domestic, agricultural, and socio-economic activities. Water quality in the middle reaches of the river is associated with increasing anthropogenic pressures, including settlements, agriculture, sand and gravel mining, and domestic waste disposal. This study models the spatial distribution of water pollution parameters in the Batanghari River, Indonesia, using the Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) method. The river, which serves as the study site, is 2.5 km long, and sampling was conducted at 16 points in Terusan Village, Maro Sebo Ilir District, Batang Hari Regency. The parameters analysed were pH, Total Suspended Solids (TSS), and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD). pH measurements were conducted in situ, while TSS and COD were analysed in the laboratory. The measured values were evaluated using the Indonesian Class II river water quality specifications in accordance with Government Regulation No. 22/2021. Spatial distribution modelling was performed using the Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) interpolation method in ArcGIS 10.8, with model performance evaluated via cross-validation using Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE). The results showed that pH values ranged from 6.76 to 6.91 and were within the class II standard limits. Total Suspended Solids (TSS) ranged between 230.12 and 313.93 mg/L, and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) ranged between 35.44 and 93.92 mg/L, exceeding the permitted limits. Areas with higher pollution concentrations were associated with settlements and mining activities, as indicated by the spatial distribution map. These findings suggest that IDW can be applied to the spatial representation of water quality and its improvement as an indicator for pollution control and river management.

Copyrights © 2026






Journal Info

Abbrev

jptk

Publisher

Subject

Education Engineering

Description

Aims and scope: Aims Jurnal Pendidikan Teknologi Kejuruan aims to present high-quality and relevant scientific articles in the form of original research results in the field of Technical and Vocational Education and Training. By showcasing the latest teaching techniques, effective instructional ...