The Dry Season at Islamic Boarding School: Water Supply Is Steady, but Water Quality Has Deteriorated Due to Dust

 Afaz Af'Ida Septiani (30802400002)

Figure 1

Semarang, 2026 - The prolonged dry season has not only brought hot weather and increased dust, but has also had a direct impact on the availability of clean water at Islamic boarding schools. Although the water supply has generally remained steady and there has been no total drought, the quality of clean water has become the main challenge currently facing the students.

This decline in water quality is caused by high concentrations of dust and sediment during the dry season. As a result, water storage tanks which normally take quite a long time to clean now become dirty and murky quickly.

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The increased dust levels during the dry season accelerate the buildup of dirt at the bottom of water tanks and in water channels. Water that sits in the tanks quickly becomes contaminated by fine dust deposits, causing the quality of the water flowing to the bathrooms and wudu stations for the students to decline.

The residents of the Islamic boarding school have begun to feel the direct effects of this contaminated water. Some students have complained of itchy skin after using the water for their daily showers and ritual ablutions.

"Airnya memang tidak macet dan tetap lancar, tapi cepat sekali kotor kalau musim kemarau. Soalnya udara sama intensitas debunya naik pas musim kemarau seperti ini dan bikin tandon cepat mengendapkan kotoran," said Imelda, one of the santri at the site.

In response to this situation, the students have been forced to increase the frequency of their regular cleaning of the water tanks. Cleaning, which usually takes quite a long time, must now be done more frequently and thoroughly to ensure the water remains safe and suitable for daily use.

Although community clean-up efforts for the water tanks are carried out regularly, the students hope for a long-term solution from the boarding school’s management. One of the requests they made was the installation of filtered water faucets (with built-in filters) at the main water outlets.

Installing these faucet filters is considered a practical measure for filtering out impurities and fine dust before the water is used, thereby helping to better protect the students’ skin during the dry season.

-Reported by : Afaz Af'Ida Septiani,

Kaligawe, October 19 2026