As populations grow and natural environments become degraded, ensuring everyone has safe and sufficient water supplies is becoming increasingly challenging. A major part of the solution is to produce less pollution and improve the way we manage wastewater.

Urban water quality in cities refers to the safety and suitability of water in piped supply systems, groundwater, and surface water bodies for drinking, domestic, and other uses. It is a major public health concern, as many cities struggle with ageing infrastructure, intermittent supply, and contamination from sewage and industry, leading to widespread reliance on filters and packaged water.According to a UN report, around 1.2 billion people, or almost one-fifth of the global population, live in areas where water is scarce, and another 1.6 billion people, or nearly one-quarter of the world’s population, face economic water shortage. They lack basic access to water. The criticality of the water situation worldwide has, in fact, given rise to speculation that water wars may become a distinct possibility in the future. I

Key sources of contamination in cities

Urban water quality is degraded by several interlinked factors:

• Aging and leaky distribution networks: Old pipes and joints let contaminants enter the drinking water system, especially during low supply when negative pressure pulls in pollutants.
• Intermittent water supply: Most Indian cities provide water only for a few hours a day, creating vacuum conditions in pipes that risk cross-contamination from sewer lines.
• Poor utility separation: Water and sewer lines often run too close or cross each other, making contamination likely at leak points.
• Groundwater contamination: In cities like Delhi and Bengaluru, over-extraction and poor sanitation lead to contamination with harmful substances.
• Industrial and domestic wastewater: Untreated effluents from industries and households pollute rivers and lakes used as water sources.

Poor water quality in cities leads to a wide range of health problems:

• Waterborne diseases: Linked to contaminated drinking water, causing diarrhoea, dysentery, cholera, typhoid, and hepatitis.
• Skin infections: Contact with polluted water leads to skin rashes and infections, especially in children.
• Chronic diseases: Long-term exposure to pollutants can cause various cancers and organ damage.
• Child health: Repeated infections lead to malnutrition and weakened immunity in children.
• Vector-borne diseases: Polluted water creates breeding grounds for mosquitoes, increasing dengue and malaria risks.

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