Impact of Ranau Earthquake on Water Quality of Liwagu River

Earthquakes bring enormous destruction to humankind such as fatality, building collapse, and economic crises. In 2015, a 6.0 magnitude earthquake hit Ranau district, Sabah, Malaysia. 18 lives, building collapse, and landslides including debris flow which swept away the living organisms disturbing water quality in the Liwagu river. Moreover, the drinking water treatment facility was forced to shut down due to a high turbidity, resulting in unavailable of clean water for people in the Ranau district for several days. About two weeks to two months following the earthquake, the Liwagu River’s overall water quality changed until it recovered to its state before the earthquake. However, it took more than six months to recover in other parameters like iron and manganese. The earthquake alone did not dominate the impact. However, it altered the pollution from the existing source to the river. Therefore, understanding how earthquakes affect the river water quality can help us understand how parameters react to future earthquakes and help us determine the most effective method to restore the water quality of the Liwagu River.