Citizen Water Signal

3 min read Original article ↗

What you're reporting

This records whether municipal tap water looks and smells drinkable before any filtration or treatment.

While most households treat water before drinking—through RO systems, filtration, or boiling—no method can make water safe when contamination levels are extremely high.

This platform is primarily for citizens reporting observations and checking if concerns are shared, and for journalists investigating stories before they become crises.

I'm a citizen

Why should I report this?
  • Water contamination is being reported across India — your area may not be immune
  • Reporting early is how problems become visible, before someone gets sick.
  • Multiple reports from the same area create a public trail — not isolated complaints
  • Takes about 60 seconds. No signup. No personal information
I'm a journalist

What can I do with this data and how can I trust it?
  • Track emerging patterns by area before official reports surface
  • Geographic clustering provides natural validation
  • Patterns matter more than single reports — clusters over time reduce noise
  • All data is public — no gatekeeping or permissions needed
  • Investigate before a crisis unfolds, not after

Answer 6 quick questions (takes about 1 minute)

Please pour water from the (source) tap into a clean transparent container, before RO, filtering, or boiling, and answer the questions based on what you see and smell.

*Location is stored only as a rounded area (not exact GPS).

Frequently asked questions

Privacy & Data

  • What personal information do you collect? None. No signup, no login, no name, no phone number.
  • Is my exact location stored? No. Your location is rounded to a general area for mapping purposes only.
  • Who can see my report? All reports are public and anonymous. They appear as part of aggregated clusters on the map.

About This Project

  • Who runs this platform? This is an independent citizen project. It is not affiliated with any government, NGO, or company. All data is public.
  • Do I need to be an expert? No. This is based only on what you personally see, smell, and feel.
  • Does this test water quality? No. This does not replace laboratory testing. It only records visible or smellable observations.
  • Can I report if my water is fine? Yes. Reports of clean water are just as valuable for showing the full picture.
  • What if I'm not sure about my water source? That's okay. Select "unsure" and answer based on what comes from your tap.

Map shows density only. No individual pins or photos.

Clusters are rounded to the grid; no exact GPS points.