Clean water is a civic right

Starting with Delhi, an audit of the drinking water supply in our cities must be done, and remedial measures carried out

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ow safe is our drinking water? It turns out, not quite. Laboratory tests on water samples collected by HT from 18 complaint-prone locations across Delhi revealed that nearly 44% of them violated basic microbiological safety standards. Specifically, eight of the 18 samples tested positive for E. coli—an indicator of faecal contamination. All contaminated samples were from tap-water connections in homes. This is worrisome for home supply is built on the trust that the water supplied by the Delhi Jal Board and accessed through taps is potable. Many households may have installed water filters as a precautionary measure, but there’s still a lot of direct consumption, like when brushing teeth or washing the fruits and vegetables we eat. And countless residents still dr