What Puri reveals about safer urban water systems in India

More than 4 billion people living in low- and middle-income countries lack access to safe drinking water, according to a 2024 study published in the academic journal Science. Contaminated water can create waterborne diseases that lead to preventable deaths, particularly in rapidly urbanising regions.

In India, a recent drinking-water contamination incident in Indore reportedly claimed more than 10 lives. But another city, Puri, has achieved continuous access to safe, potable tap water for all households. The city, located in the eastern state of Orissa (also called Odisha), offers one example of how continuous supply systems and real-time monitoring can improve water reliability and safety.

Many urban water systems in rapidly growing cities face mounting pressure from ageing infrastructure, intermittent supply and rising demand linked to urbanization and climate stress. And in many Indian cities, urban water supply still operates through intermittent distribution rather than continuous, pressurised networks. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), intermittent supply systems significantly increase the risk of microbial contamination.

Alongside ageing infrastructure, underinvestment in maintenance exacerbates water system fragility. Further, India’s water monitoring systems are currently largely reactive. Testing is periodic, often manual and rarely integrated into real-time decision-making. This means that, by the time contamination is detected, people have already been exposed.

A developing nation like India cannot change its entire water supply infrastructure overnight, but modern methods including sensors, data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) can help utilities identify risks and failures earlier.

Using technology to predict and report many common types of water system failure could save lives by helping authorities to act in time. It would turn India’s urban water system infrastructure from a reactive system into a proactive system. This shift could help utilities move from reactive repairs towards more preventive maintenance and faster response systems.

Puri offers a contrasting trajectory to the development of water systems in most Indian cities. Under a state-led reform initiative aligned with the government's Jal Jeevan Mission to promote safe drinking water and other urban water transformation efforts, the city has implemented a continuous, pressurised water supply system. It has also upgraded treatment infrastructure and established round-the-clock water quality monitoring.

This means that, unlike in other cities, households in Puri can drink water directly from the tap.

What distinguishes Puri is not just infrastructure investment, but institutional coherence. Water service levels are clearly defined, accountability is streamlined and monitoring is continuous rather than manual and periodic. Water quality and leakages are tracked in real time, enabling rapid response from the authorities in case of any mishap.

Puri demonstrates how infrastructure upgrades, continuous monitoring and clearer operational accountability can improve urban water delivery.

Despite the availability of successful models for urban water systems, replication across cities remains limited. The constraints are structural and extend beyond any single geography, ranging from fragmented governance to data gaps and capital allocation issues.

Budget is also often concentrated on maintenance of the current ageing water infrastructure, rather than new projects. And water systems may be treated as engineering challenges rather than public health systems, leading to underestimation of risk and delayed intervention.

These patterns are not unique to India, they can be observed in many low- and middle-income urban countries. Addressing urban water risk requires a shift from reactive crisis management to proactive system design, using three priorities:

This reduces the contamination risk associated with intermittent water systems.

This minimises fragmentation across agencies, which can create delays and miscommunication.

This ensures the reliability of urban water system infrastructure over time.

The broader direction for strengthening urban water systems in India is becoming clearer: scale proven operational models, embed continuous monitoring and prioritise prevention over response.

Digitalizing India’s urban water systems won’t be easy. The system complexity doesn’t end with supplying clean water to the consumer; it extends through treatment plants, transmission pipelines, and storage infrastructure before reaching last-mile distribution. Failures can occur at any of these stages.

The integration of modern technologies into current urban water system infrastructure in India would boost capacity and enhance system readiness. Sensor-based monitoring systems can help track water quality parameters such as contamination indicators in real time. This reduces detection lag and enables faster response.

Predictive analytics can identify infrastructure vulnerabilities, such as pipeline stress points or leakage patterns, before they escalate into failures. This would help utilities shift from reactive repairs to planned maintenance.

Decision-support platforms could also integrate data across treatment, distribution and consumption points. This would enable more efficient resource allocation and operational control.

Technology is an enabler, not a substitute, however. Its impact depends on integration with governance frameworks and operational accountability.

The global population is projected to reach 9.7 billion people by 2050. This will place unprecedented pressure on water systems, particularly in rapidly expanding cities.

Puri demonstrates one approach to strengthening urban water management under growing pressure. It shows that safer and more reliable urban water systems are possible with sustained investment and operational coordination.

Ensuring safe drinking water is not only a service delivery issue, it is central to public health, economic productivity and climate resilience.