Jakarta's air pollution is associated with high levels of respiratory disease. Jakarta's water quality is suffering under the combined strain of domestic and industrial pollution. The backbone of the sanitation system is still an open ditch system that serves as a conduit for all wastewater. Domestic wastewater is estimated to contribute 80 percent of surface water pollution, although industrial discharges are a growing concern. In some areas, groundwater is polluted with nitrates and microorganisms from domestic waste and toxics leached from industrial landfills.
Water pollution has impacts on both human health and aquatic life.
Jakarta's aquifer is also suffering from overextraction and salinization. At least 30 percent of Jakarta's population relies on the aquifer for water. Because the city lacks a system for registering and controlling water extraction, more water is withdrawn than is naturally recharged. Urban expansion into the water catchment areas southwest and southeast of Jakarta is further threatening the aquifer. For Jakarta's 1.4 million poor, however, the greatest environmental threats still occur at the household and neighborhood level.