A nationwide study conducted by the Bureau of Indian Standards, under the Department of Consumer Affairs, has found that the quality of tap water in the city is poor.
Chennai was among 13 cities, including Lucknow, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Thiruvananthapuram, whose quality of piped drinking water failed to comply with BIS standards.
In the rankings released on Tuesday, all 10 samples lifted in Chennai failed to meet the standards for nine parameters, including total hardness, turbidity and total dissolved solids.
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In the second phase of the study, samples were drawn from 20 State capitals, and were sent for testing as per the Indian Standard 10500:2012 (specification for drinking water). Tests were conducted for various parameters, including physical, chemical and toxic substances.
In a press release, the Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ram Vilas Paswan, said the objective was to encourage State governments to ensure quality piped water supply to residents and not demotivate them.
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The study was taken up under the Centre’s flagship Jal Jeevan Mission, which aims to provide safe piped water to all households by 2024. The Ministry wants to make BIS standards mandatory for municipal tap water, and ensure quality drinking water for households.
According to Metrowater sources, samples in Chennai were lifted from taps during August. Until October-end, the city was supplied with 525 million litres of water a day (mld), largely through tankers due to water shortage. Of this, about 350 mld was supplied through the piped network.
The limited supply, particularly on alternate days, in some areas could be the reason why the city fared so poorly in the rankings, sources said.