VISAKHAPATNAM: Around 50 water quality tests are being conducted every day by the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation’s (GVMC) mobile water testing laboratory, which is moving across all 98 wards to check drinking water supplied to households.
The laboratory, launched on January 1, 2026, is the first mobile water testing facility of its kind in the State. It was procured at a cost of Rs 40 lakh through CSR funds of the Visakhapatnam Water Supply Company and later handed over for operation to the GVMC water supply department. The initiative is aimed at ensuring safe drinking water and enabling residents to get their water tested at their doorstep.
The vehicle is equipped with seven instruments, including a spectrophotometer, turbidity meter and digital titrator. These enable on-the-spot testing of key parameters such as pH levels, chlorine, water hardness, turbidity and the presence of harmful substances, including bacteria and metals. Trained chemists operate the unit and provide immediate results during field visits.
Speaking to the TNIE, GVMC Executive Engineer Murali Krishna said the mobile laboratory covers two to three wards daily and aims to complete testing in all 98 wards every month. Each ward has nearly 6,000 households. In addition to routine visits, the team also responds to complaints and conducts tests in areas where contamination is suspected. He added that the tests conducted so far have not revealed any contamination. “There is no difference in water quality, and we have not found anything contaminated. If any issue is detected, we collect the sample in a sterile bottle and can confirm results within 24 hours. So far, no major or minor issues have been reported.”
He added that the system allows continuous monitoring of water quality across the city. “We are covering the entire city. If there is any report of contaminated water, we go and check immediately,” he said.
Recent tests conducted on March 30 in Ward 62 and Ward 63, including areas such as Malakapuram, Thrinadhpuram, Ambedkar Colony, Kakaulova, Chinthalova and Kranthi Nagar, recorded pH values ranging from 7 to 8.7, total dissolved solids (TDS) between 324 and 341, and chlorine levels within permissible limits.
On April 2, testing in Madhurawada (Ward 8) showed pH values between 7.10 and 7.28, hardness around 310-312 and turbidity between 0.9 and 1.00. In Ward 98, pH ranged from 7.4 to 7.6, while hardness and turbidity remained within safe limits. Similar results were observed in Chapala Uppada (Ward 4) and Bheemili (Ward 3).
Officials said there were no significant variations in water quality across different areas.