393 Water Samples in Pune District Found Unfit for Drinking; Sharp Rise in Water-Borne Diseases
Pune, 31st July 2025: A recent report by the State Public Health Laboratory has raised serious concerns about drinking water quality in Pune district, revealing that 393 water samples tested during May and June 2025 were found to be contaminated and unfit for consumption.
The contaminated samples include those collected from rural areas, as well as from urban pockets under Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporations. The data indicates a worrying rise in water contamination, especially in the rural regions of the district.
According to the State Laboratory’s monthly testing report, 22,821 water samples were tested in May across Pune district. Of these, 192 samples (0.8%) were found contaminated. Notably, 103 of 2,812 rural samples (3.66%) failed the safety standards, while 89 out of 20,009 urban samples (0.44%) were found to be unsafe.
In June, while the total number of samples decreased to 22,433, the number of contaminated samples rose to 261 (1%). The rural areas showed a significant spike in contamination: 149 of 3,048 samples (4.89%) were unsafe. In urban areas, 112 of 19,385 samples (0.58%) failed the test.
Officials send water samples to the State Public Health Laboratory regularly, and municipal corporations also forward their test findings. These results contribute to the monthly statewide water quality report.
Surge in Water-Borne Diseases
The poor water quality has also coincided with a rise in water-borne illnesses in the city during the same period.
Data from the Pune Municipal Corporation’s health department reveals that in May 2025, the city recorded:
911 cases of acute diarrhoea
12 cases of dysentery
7 cases of hepatitis
16 cases of typhoid
In June, the numbers climbed further, with:
1,226 cases of acute diarrhoea
12 cases of hepatitis
17 cases of typhoid
Health officials have warned residents to avoid consuming untreated water and urged local authorities to improve water purification and monitoring systems in both urban and rural areas.
The report has highlighted the urgent need for enhanced water safety protocols, especially in rural regions where contamination rates are alarmingly high.
