BMC Reports Improved Mumbai Water Quality: Unfit Drinking Water Samples Drop To 0.46% In 2024–25

Mumbai: According to the Environment Status Report (ESR) for the year 2024–25, tests conducted at the BMC’s water laboratory show that the ward-wise percentage of unfit water samples has been maintained at 0.46% for the last two years.

Ward-Wise Water Quality

In comparison, the figure was 0.99% in 2022–23. B Ward (Dongri, Masjid Bunder) recorded the highest proportion of unfit water samples at 3.2%, a sharp rise from 1.0% in the previous year.

Sample Collection and Testing

To ensure the quality of drinking water, approximately 150 to 180 water samples are collected daily across Mumbai. During the monsoon season or in emergency situations, this number can increase to as many as 250 samples per day.

The Public Health Department (PHD) and the Hydraulic Engineering Department (HE) work collaboratively to collect these samples from service reservoirs and water distribution points spread across the city’s 24 administrative wards.

The process is overseen by personnel from the Medical Officer of Health (MOH), the Assistant Engineer (Water Works – Quality Control), and the Leak Detection Department. Once collected, the samples are sent to the Municipal Analyst Laboratory for routine bacteriological testing to assess water safety and compliance.

According to test results presented in the ESR 2024–25, several areas in Mumbai have shown slight improvement in reducing water contamination. For instance, the H/East ward (comprising Santacruz, Khar, and Bandra East) recorded 1.6% unfit water samples, a marginal improvement from 1.7% in the previous year.

Similarly, A Ward (which includes Colaba, Cuffe Parade, and Nariman Point) showed a decline from 2.1% in 2023–24 to 1.5% in 2024–25. However, not all areas saw progress—T Ward (Mulund) experienced an increase in unfit water samples, rising from 0.7% last year to 1.0% this year.

Zero Contamination Zones

However, certain areas such as C Ward (Kalbadevi), N Ward (Ghatkopar, Vidyavihar), and P North Ward (Malvani, Madh, Malad) reported zero percentage of contaminated water samples.

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Improvement Measures

A senior civic official stated, “Targeted drives were conducted to identify and repair the sources of contamination in affected areas, which contributed to the reduction in the percentage of unfit drinking water.” Meanwhile, the lowest overall percentage of unfit water samples was recorded in 2021–22, at just 0.33%.