Mysuru to test plan for clean drinking water straight from every household tap
Mysuru will become the first city in Karnataka to test a plan to supply clean drinking water directly to every household through taps, under an initiative titled 'Clean water for every household' (Drink Directly from Tap). The decision to take up the project on a pilot basis was taken at a meeting chaired by Urban Development Minister Yathindra Siddaramaiah on Tuesday.
The meeting discussed the measures required to implement the pilot in Mysuru within one year. It also examined the technical requirements, feasibility and possible challenges involved in building a system that delivers water of drinking quality to household taps.
The initiative draws on the example of several cities in Western countries, where treated water supplied through pipes meets drinking standards and can be consumed without further treatment. In most Indian cities, piped water is not considered safe to drink directly; households commonly boil, filter or buy packaged water, and those without reliable supply depend on public taps, tankers or private sources.
The meeting weighed the possibility of introducing a similar system in Karnataka with the stated aim of giving urban residents convenient access to safe and clean drinking water. Mysuru was selected for the pilot.
M. G. Mathi Vathanan, retired Additional Chief Secretary of the Government of Odisha, attended the meeting and shared his experience of implementing the initiative in Odisha. He offered suggestions on the project's technical framework, its feasibility and ways to implement it effectively.
Beyond drinking water, the meeting discussed a broader transformation of slum areas, technology-driven implementation, strengthening of social infrastructure and sustainable livelihood models. Discussions focused on strategies to improve the quality of life in urban settlements, widen access to basic civic amenities, use technology for better project planning and execution, and strengthen community participation. The meeting also looked at ways to promote inclusive urban development and raise living standards through integrated social infrastructure and livelihood opportunities.
It was decided that after the pilot is implemented in Mysuru, its outcomes, advantages and challenges would be assessed in detail before any decision to expand the model to other urban areas in the State.
The meeting was attended by B. B. Kaveri, Secretary to the Government, Urban Development Department; the Director of the Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA); the Director of the Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board (KUWSDB); and other senior officials.
The meeting did not announce the cost of the pilot, the agency that will execute it, or the specific water-quality standards the project will have to meet — details that will determine how far the Mysuru experiment can be replicated. Those specifics are expected to emerge as the one-year pilot takes shape.
