Patna, March 31: Water supplied by the Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) is not the healthiest drink in the state capital.

In the absence of any water quality assessment data provided by the civic body, a sample test of drinking tap water in eight localities of the state capital have proven that the level of bacteria in these is more than the optimum limit.

The collected samples were sent to the state-of-the-art water-testing laboratory at the department of environment and water management (DEW) of AN College, Patna. These samples were tested for 14 physio-chemical and bacteriological parameters.

The result: nearly 40 per cent of the samples flunked the bacteriological test. According to the international standards for bacteriological presence, no sample should conduct more than 10 coliform organism per 100ml of water, whereas the samples collected at Saidpur locality near Rajendra Nagar have an alarming 24 coliform organism per 100ml.

Water collected from Patliputra Pani Tanki and Mahendru area show nearly 26 per cent coliform organism per 100ml sample.

Ashok Ghosh, the professor-in-charge, DEW, told The Telegraph: “While the physio-chemical parameters like turbidity, conductivity, hardness, arsenic and fluoride levels are well within limits, 38 per cent of the samples failed the bacteriological test. So the water is not suitable for drinking

“There could be various reasons for this, such as ineffective treatment or contamination in the distribution system. Contamination levels are much higher when the water supply is resumed. At present, the water supply and the sewage pipelines are parallel and close to each other. It is also very old and ruptured at places. The water supply through these pipes can very harmful,” said Ghosh.

He added: “An extensive study is required to analyse the full extent of the problem. But PMC should take action immediately.”

Saidpur resident Alok Kumar Sinha said: “Most of the people of our area, who have consumed the water supplied by PMC, have fallen sick. Diarrhoea, indigestion, jaundice and dehydration are the major ailments people face.”

Srikrishna Nagar resident Vivek Kumar said: “The outlet pipe at Srikrishna Nagar pump house, in front of my house, has been broken for many years and a lot of water is wasted everyday. My family members have suffered from various water-related diseases because of this.”

PMC water supply division engineer Ravinder Kumar said PMC had no mechanism to check the quality of water. A government agency carries out checks at random.