Novita et al. Page 110 HTTPS://JOURNALS.UMS.AC.ID/INDEX.PHP/FG/ ISSN: 0852-0682 | E-ISSN: 2460-3945 Spatial Distribution of Potential Pollution Load Point Sources of Bedadung River Segment in Urban Area Elida Novita 1,* , Ahmad Zaidan Karomi 1 , Hendra Ardiananta Pradana 2 1 Department of Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, University of Jember, Indonesia 2 Masters Program of Management of Agricultural / Natural Water Resources and Environment, University of Jember, Indonesia *) Correspondance : elidanovita0330@gmail.com Abstract Land use influences the water quality of rivers. The variety of community activities in urban areas and a poor domestic sewage system are thought to affect the water quality of the Bedadung River, Jember Re- gency, Indonesia. Point source pollution is the dominant cause of degradation in the quality of the water in the Bedadung River, as identified by dissolved oxygen (DO) and Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD). This study was conducted to determine the potential point source pollution load of the Bedadung River in an urban area using land use information and pollution load-BOD data. All data were combined and pro- cessed using a Geographical Information System (GIS). The data were analyzed and plotted on a map de- picting the distribution of potential point source pollutant loads in the Bedadung River urban area segment in Jember Regency. The results of the land use analysis in the urban area segment show that paddy fields accounted for 18.97% of the total study area, with fields at 5.98%, gardens at 12.85%, and rivers at 12.25%, while settlements covered the largest land area, on 49.96%. The results for the potential point source pollution load show that Kaliwates village had the highest potential pollution load value, at 13.966 kg/day. The lowest was Antirogo village, at 0.004 kg/day, while the total point source pollution load was 36.31 kg/day. An evaluation of point source pollution impact is required to control river pollution in urban areas, namely the development of communal Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) in urban area seg- ments. Keywords: Pollution level, organic matter, pollution control, quality standard, BOD. 1. Introduction A river is a natural or artificial channel or a channel in the form of a water drainage network running from the upstream of the mountains to the downstream or emptying into a lake or sea bordered by a river boundary. Rivers also store runoff from residential or domestic areas, agri- cultural area runoff, and flood runoff, which enables the entry of pollutants (Government Regu- lation No. 38, 2011). The Bedadung River is one of the large rivers that pass through the urban area of Jember Regency. It is used by the government for irrigation water and as a source of raw water for Perum DAM Tirta Pendalungan in Jember. The river is also widely used by the com- munity for washing, bathing, and defecating (Pradana et al., 2019; Pradana et al., 2022). Based on the 2015-2035 Jember Regency Master Plan, the Patrang, Sumbersari, and Kaliwates districts will be developed as an urban system (Perda Kabupaten Jember No.1, 2015). Thus, in line with an expected increase in population and various community activities, the potential for pollution in the Bedadung River will also increase (Puspita et al., 2020; Rahman et al., 2021). River water pollution in urban areas is caused by industrial and household waste. Population density, poor household waste disposal systems, and various community activities in land use along the border of the Bedadung River are thought to affect water quality in the Bedadung wa- tershed (Pradana et al., 2020; Aziza et al., 2018; Novita et al., 2022). Pollutant sources can be categorized as point sources or non-point sources, depending on how the pollutants enter the system. Point-source pollutants originate from known, directly identifia- ble sources, such as domestic waste disposal, industrial activities, and others (Regulation of the Minister of Environment and Forestry No. 1, 2010). Domestic waste comprises solid and liquid waste originating from settlements or other institutions. High levels of river pollution are caused by the large volumes of polluting waste that enter them, thus increasing the pollution load (Pangestu et al., 2017; Djuwita et al., 2021). Organic pollutants from domestic waste in rivers can reduce the concentration of dissolved oxygen (DO), which can affect river water quality (Wahyuningsih et al., 2019). The Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) value can be used as an indicator of organic matter in the Bedadung River. An increase in the concentration of BOD in water indicates pollution by organic material, with domestic waste as one of the contributors (Liu et al., 2015; Pramaningsih et al., 2020). Community activities and land use in river basins can alter the physical, chemical, and biological parameters of river waters (French et al.,2017; Jamwal et al., 2011). While land use change is an impact of population growth and increased human activity, changes in land use that ignore the principles of ecosystem sustainability tend to Citation: Novita, E., Karomi, A. Z., & Pradana, H. (2022) Spatial Distribution of Potential Pollution Load Point Sources of Bedadung River Segment in Urban Area. Forum Geografi. Vol. 36, No. 2. Article history: Received: 08 July 2021 Accepted: 22 November 2022 Published: 05 December 2023 Copyright: © 2023 by the authors. Submitted for possible open access publication under the terms and condi- tions of the Creative Commons Attribu- tion (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/b y/4.0/).