Watch video | Mumbai: ‘Worms, muck, faecal matter in our water!’

Water supplied to 15 housing societies around DrsquoMonte Park in Bandra West has been found to contain coliform bacteriamdashtypically found in faecal matter The number is expected to increase as other societies await lab test results Alarmed by the impurities and red worms observed in tap water for the past 10 days locals recently took matters into their own hands sending multiple water samples for testingTap water from several socities of Dmonte park road area Bandra West has tested positive for E Coli bacteria The tap water also contains visible red worms Residents are relying on bottled water for 10 days now mid_day mybmcwaterpollution watercontamination bandra pictwittercom6YjaCbMFwwmdash Prasun Choudhari PrasunChoudhari August 30 2024The results from the private lab where the water was sent for testing reads ldquoColiform of bacteria found As per Chek Nees water testing the colour has changed from violet to yellow which denotes it is not potablehellip Remarks water is not fit for safe drinking use sicrdquoA concrete road near DrsquoMonte Park in Bandra West is dug up on Thursday to locate the source of the contamination PicAtul KambleReferring to a sample from a building in the locality sent to another lab the report states ldquoWe confirm that the water does not pass in parameters to IS105002012 for Drinking water Hence sample is not fit for human consumption sicrdquo The report has also confirmed the presence of E coli bacteria in the sampleWhen midday visited residentsrsquo houses on Thursday red worms were seen wriggling in tap water Dharmatejas Prasannadas assistant engineer waterworks department H West ward said ldquoWe are aware of the matter and are trying to locate the source of contamination E coli bacteria has also been found in the waterrdquoSignature campaignIn response to the findings residents have initiated a signature campaign calling on the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC to address the issue A resident of the Mon Repos building said ldquoWe have had to rely on bottled water for the past 10 days The BMC has asked us to let out water for 20 minutes before our societiesrsquo water tanks are filled On the one hand water is scarce on the other we have been instructed to waste water We are using the contaminated water for nondrinking purposes Our societyrsquos watchman has taken ill after consuming contaminated water The BMC will collect water tax for the month saying that the supply was not cut We are petrified We feel there is a need to escalate the issue as the BMC is not sure of the source of contamination and the same water will also be reaching other localitiesrdquoThe road in Bandra West dug up to locate the source of contamination PicsAtul KambleHealth concernsAnother resident speaking on the condition of anonymity said ldquoWe detected the issue on August 18 and immediately informed the authorities After we received the lab results on August 28 engineers from the BMCrsquos hydraulics and waterworks departments visited the area but they were unable to pinpoint the source of the contamination Yesterday they began digging up concrete roads in the locality to trace the source of contamination Today they will be sending in a camera through the pipes to check for seepages and leaks About 90 per cent of the arearsquos residents are senior citizens and we fear someone might fall sick if the issue persistsrdquo Prasannadas the assistant engineer said ldquoAs per speculation the source of contamination is far away from the spot somewhere in the water line We are trying to detect it We are also checking pipelines in the localityrdquo He added ldquoWe have not cut the water supply to the area as of now 5 pm on August 29rdquoResearch paperAccording to a research paper published in July 2023 by the New York State Department of Health ldquoColiforms are bacteria that are always present in the digestive tracts of animals including humans and are found in their waste They are also found in plant and soil materialrdquo The paper continues ldquoFrequently concentrations of pathogens from faecal contamination are small and the number of different possible pathogens is large As a result it is not practical to test for pathogens in every water sample collected Instead the presence of pathogens is determined with indirect evidence by testing for an lsquoindicatorrsquo organism such as coliform bacteria Coliforms come from the same sources as pathogenic organisms As a result testing for coliform bacteria can be a reasonable indication of whether other pathogenic bacteria are presentrdquoldquoMost coliform bacteria do not cause disease However some rare strains of E coli particularly the strain 0157H7 can cause serious illness Recent outbreaks of disease caused by E coli 0157H7 have generated much public concern about this organism E coli 0157H7 has been found in cattle chickens pigs and sheep Most of the reported human cases of E coli 0157H7 are caused by contaminated drinking water supplies These are rare but dangerous Although total coliforms can come from sources other than faecal matter a positive total coliform sample should be considered an indication of pollution in your well water source Positive faecal coliform results especially positive E coli results should be considered an indication of faecal pollution in your water sourcerdquo the research paper states The research paper also mentions the measures to be taken when such bacteria are detected stating ldquoBoiling the water is advised until disinfection and retesting can confirm that contamination has been eliminated A defective water source is often the cause when coliform bacteria are found in waterrdquoExpert SpeakDr Bharti Rajuwala medical superintendent Rajawadi hospital said ldquoE coli causes cholera diarrhoea and loose motions This leads to dehydration of the body Implications of the E coli bacteria depend on the strain of bacteria that is being detected Some strains can be more dangerous than othersrdquo