A study on Escherichia coli contamination in drinking water sources to combat waterborne diseases effectively in Bist Doab, Punjab, India.

The World Health Organization (WHO) advocates universal access to safe drinking water (DW) by 2030 in order to mitigate waterborne diseases (WBDs). Mitigating WBDs necessitates access to clean water devoid of pathogens such as Escherichia coli. Despite advancements, urban areas such as Jalandhar continue to grapple with recurrent outbreaks of diarrhoea, cholera, hepatitis A, and hepatitis E. Zero E. coli presence in water samples is considered safe DW. This study aims to find out whether DW supplied and available in Bist Doab region is free from faecal contamination and safe to drink per the WHO Standards. A total of 32 samples were collected from six distinct villages, alongside 23 samples from three urban wards of Jalandhar and tested using spreading techniques, involving bacterial screening and quantification of colony-forming units to ascertain E. coli contamination levels. The results reveal that 56.5% of urban DW samples exhibited potential health risks attributable to contamination, while rural counterparts demonstrated significantly lower E. coli levels. An area-specific approach and a three-tier policy are proposed through this research work to combat WBDs effectively and efficiently in our developing nation.