The Regional Public Utility Company (Perumda) Air Minum Surya Sembada of Surabaya City opened doors for international collaboration by hosting a study visit from dozens of foreign students. A total of 32 Environmental Technology students from Mahidol University, Thailand, accompanied by 14 students from Universitas Airlangga (Unair), visited the Karangpilang Water Treatment Plant (IPAM) to study the clean water supply system in the "City of Heroes."
The field visit, which took place on Tuesday (21/7/2026), was part of a student exchange program initiated by Unair and Mahidol University. During the program, participants were invited to see firsthand how PAM Surya Sembada processes raw water into consumable water to supply the needs of all Surabaya residents.
The Production Manager of Karangpilang PAM Surya Sembada, Didik Hariyanto, warmly welcomed the delegation of academics. According to him, this agenda serves as an effective platform for knowledge transfer to introduce the modern filtration technology implemented by the regional company in maintaining the quality of water distribution.
For information, Mahidol University is a leading higher education institution ranked third best in Thailand and 276th globally according to the QS World University Rankings 2027. During the visit, language barriers were overcome with interactive presentations delivered in three languages—Indonesian, English, and Thai—to ensure a comprehensive understanding for all participants.
Following the discussion session, the students were guided directly to the production areas of IPAM Karangpilang I and II. Guided by the local technical team and supervisors, they observed every step of the clean water treatment process, from the initial sedimentation of raw water (presedimentation) to the final filtration method, which is the key to producing high-quality drinking water.
Puncharatt Janya, one of the student representatives from Thailand, expressed admiration for the hospitality of the local residents and the effectiveness of the clean water treatment technology in Surabaya. Meanwhile, Danar Arifka Rahman, the accompanying lecturer from the Faculty of Science and Technology at Unair, emphasized that the visit to IPAM Karangpilang is highly relevant academically to provide a real-world picture of environmental technology applications in the public service sector.
