groundwater cemetery Metagenome

Cemeteries (Tempat Pemakaman Umum, TPU) play ecological, social, and cultural roles in urban settings. In addition to serving as burial grounds, they function as green open spaces that support landscape and ecological balance. In Indonesia, burial depths typically range from 1.5 to 1.8 meters. During decomposition, organic matter from the human body releases gases, soluble compounds, and microorganisms that can migrate into surrounding soil and groundwater. Studies in South Africa, Poland, and the United States have reported that cemetery leachate may contain opportunistic or pathogenic bacteria, posing potential contamination risks to nearby groundwater. However, limited data exist on groundwater microbial communities near cemeteries in Indonesia, where well water remains a major household water source.Regulations regarding the safe distance between cemeteries and residential areas differ internationally. In Surakarta City, local regulations only mention that cemeteries should not be too close to densely populated areas [1], without defining a minimum distance. In contrast, Ecuador recommends a 200-meter buffer, while the World Health Organization (WHO) suggests 250 meters [26]. This dataset provides PacBio Sequel II full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing data on bacterial communities from well water inside and around cemeteries in Surakarta, offering a baseline for assessing microbial diversity, potential pathogens, and urban groundwater safety.