MoEF Regulation No. 5 of 2022 - Wastewater Processing for Mining Businesses and/or Activities by Using Constructed Wetland Methods

Regulation No. 5 of 2022 on Wastewater Processing for Mining Businesses and/or Activities by Using Constructed Wetland Methods issued by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia provides technical requirements and procedures for the processing of wastewater from mining activities using constructed wetland methods. It implements Government Regulation No. 22/2021 on environmental protection and applies to both primary and supporting wastewater sources in mining operations. The regulation aims to reduce pollutant loads before discharge into the environment and promote sustainable water management practices.

The regulation covers wastewater from nickel mining, copper mining, other mineral mining, including cobalt, lithium and rare earth elements. It covers both wastewater from primary processes (i.e. runoff water, wastewater from mining pits, and/or wastewater from processing and refinery) and wastewater from supporting processes (i.e. domestic wastewater in mining area, wastewater from workshop activities and wastewater from laboratories). It sets down technical requirements for the facilities for constructed wetland processing, including their location and design. It also requires monitoring and maintenance of the facilities.

Processed wastewater using the constructed wetlands method may be disposed into surface water bodies such as rivers, streams, lakes and swamps. The disposal must be closely monitored, evaluated, and reported. The person in charge of the mining activity must:

• Monitor the quality of the wastewater, quality of the surface water body, and the operations of the processing facilities. 
• Evaluate the result of the monitoring by comparing against the quality standards set in its Environmental Approval and the quality standards set by the government (for the disposal target)
• Submit the result of the evaluation as a report to the relevant authorities.

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