H2O: Not just hydrogen and oxygen

City’s drinking water is a potent mix of gastro, amoebiasis and other ailments.

Slums along pipelines muddy our waters

Till recently, the drinking water in my residential complex was getting mixed with hard water. The pipes carrying potable water and hard water were running too close to each other, and both had sprung leaks. As a result, every evening, drinking water was getting contaminated. The taste used to change and when you boiled it, and you had white residue floating. The problem stopped when the plumbing was changed.

However, the bigger problem is happening right under the noses of the BMC. Right outside the pumping station at the Indian Oil junction in Andheri, slumdwellers freely draw water from the underground pipes. They wash cars, utensils, clothes and bathe right outside the facility. It's no surprise then that the water gets contaminated. It's a common sight but everyone chooses to turn a blind eye.

In fact, you will find slums all along the huge pipelines that carry water around Mumbai. Whether its JB Nagar in Andheri or the pipelines at Bandra, slums have proliferated around pipelines. When slumdwellers draw water from these pipes, contamination is inevitable. The entire city is at risk. Why can't the officials make sure that there is no habitation within 100 meters of these pipelines? That will bring down the risk of contamination in a major way. — Anuradha Deshpande. Versova

Mass jaundice has made me paranoid

Two years ago, simply because of contaminated water, my entire family had a severe attack of jaundice.

In fact at that time, almost every family in Juhu had at least one member who suffered from jaundice. Despite using a water purifier, we all fell sick.

After that experience, I immediately shifted to e-boiling which is supposed to be more effective. The experience was so bad that I still boil water even after it has been cleaned in a water purifier. I completely avoid street food in my locality because Juhu is infamous for its contaminated water. — Krishne Kalati. Juhu

Great big shout

Do you have a water purifier at home?
37 % Yes
63 % No

Do you trust bottled water which is available in the market?
35 % Yes
65 % No

Do you prefer soft drinks to water when dining out?
47 % Yes
53 % No

10 ways to get your water clean

• Boiling: Water should be boiled at 1000 °C for 20 minutes to inactivate or kill the micro organisms. In hard water, boiling decomposes the bicarbonate ions, resulting in partial precipitation as calcium carbonate. This is the 'fur' that builds up on the kettle.
• Chlorine Tablets: can be used while travelling. They are used to chlorinate small batches of water.
• Silver: Preparations containing silver may be used to reduce the germ count of water. The products are commercially available, either as a liquid or a powder.
• Carbon filtering: Charcoal absorbs many compounds including some toxic compounds. Water passing through activated charcoal is common in household water filters and fish tanks.
• Distillation: involves boiling the water to produce water vapour and cool it back to get distilled water. Water-soluble matter is not normally vaporised and remain in the boiling solution. But distillation does not completely purify as contaminants with similar boiling points may get carried along with the water vapour.
• Reverse osmosis: Mechanical pressure is applied to an impure solution to force pure water through a semi-permeable membrane. Reverse osmosis is theoretically the best method of large-scale water purification. Unless membranes are well maintained, algae and other life forms can infect the membranes.
• Ion exchange: Common ion exc-hange systems use a zeolite resin bed to replace unwanted Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions with benign (soap-friendly) Na+ or K+ ions. This is the common water softener.
• Electrodeionisation: Water is passed between a positive and a negative electrode. The positive ions separate from the water towards the negative electrode and the negative ions toward the positive one. The water is put to reverse osmosis to remove non-ionic organic contaminants.
• E-boiling: focuses: Ultra Violet rays in the UV chamber to e-boil the water. All known disease-causing bacteria and viruses get destroyed. It also helps remove dust and rust from water.
• Potassium permanganate: is a powerful oxidant and is rarely applied in water treatment for disinfection. It is effective against cholera bacteria, but not against other pathogenic germs. It creates a purple-brown precipitate which coats the walls of the tank. It cannot be removed easily. — Anand U Researcher