DENPASAR, DEWATA.NEWS – The volume of waste collected from rivers in Denpasar has risen sharply following the temporary closure of the Suwung landfill site, highlighting growing pressure on Bali’s waste management system.
Denpasar Public Works and Public Housing Agency (PUPR) Water Resources Division Head Ketut Ngurah Artha Jaya said river waste volume initially increased by 15.91 percent after the closure of the Suwung Final Disposal Site (TPA Suwung) and has continued to rise in recent weeks.
Speaking on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, Ngurah Artha explained that river waste collection reached 30.6 tons per day shortly after the landfill disruption.
Before the closure, the average volume of waste removed from Denpasar’s rivers was approximately 26.4 tons per day.
The figure has now increased even further to around 44.1 tons daily.
“After the temporary closure of TPA Suwung, river waste reached 30.6 tons per day. Now there has been another increase of 13.5 tons, bringing the total to 44.1 tons per day,” he said.
According to authorities, the growing waste volume has slowed cleanup operations because collected trash must first be sorted before being transported to local Reduce-Reuse-Recycle waste processing facilities (TPS 3R).
“That is what makes river waste handling somewhat slower, because the waste must first be sorted, in addition to the fact that the total volume has increased,” Ngurah Artha explained.
The rising amount of waste in waterways has become a growing environmental concern in Bali, particularly in urban areas such as Denpasar where rivers often carry household and plastic waste toward coastal areas.
Authorities said cleanup teams are continuing to maximize available manpower and operational capacity despite increasing pressure on the city’s waste management system.
The temporary disruption at TPA Suwung has intensified public discussion about Bali’s long-term waste management challenges and the need for more sustainable processing infrastructure across the island.