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Draft:People's Water Data.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Description

[edit]

People’s Water Data (PWD) is a multi-institutional citizen-science initiative for decentralized monitoring of drinking-water quality. It was developed through collaboration between the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) and Tel Aviv University, with the KMCH Research Foundation participating as an institutional partner in its educational and field activities.[1] The initiative combines water-quality education, standardized field measurements, household and contextual surveys, geolocated digital data collection, and the development of shared water-quality datasets through university- and community-based participation.

The concept of “People’s Water Data” was articulated by Thalappil Pradeep in a 2024 editorial in ACS Sustainable Resource Management, co-authored with Michael K. C. Tam and Julio F. Serrano, which discussed the role of academic partnerships, education, and digital tools in developing accessible water-quality data.[2] The initiative has subsequently been implemented through university-based training, field monitoring, and research activities involving participating institutions and communities in multiple countries.[3]

  1. ↑ https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2031506&reg=48&lang=2
  2. ↑ Pradeep, Thalappil; Tam, Michael KC; Serrano, Julio F. (2024-03-28). "Managing Water, the Mother of Resources: Thoughts on World Water Day 2024". ACS Sustainable Resource Management. 1 (3): 368–369. doi:10.1021/acssusresmgt.4c00096. ISSN 2837-1445.
  3. ↑ https://doi.org/10.1021/acssusresmgt.6c00149

History

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People’s Water Data originated in 2023 through joint fieldwork involving students from Tel Aviv University and Indian academic institutions. The initial activities brought together students from Israel and India to conduct household water-quality sampling and surveys in Tamil Nadu.[1]

In March 2024, Thalappil Pradeep, together with Michael K. C. Tam and Julio F. Serrano, articulated the concept of “People’s Water Data” in an editorial in ACS Sustainable Resource Management, discussing how academic partnerships, education and digital tools could contribute to the development of accessible water-quality data.[2]

In July 2024, IIT Madras announced a four-month hybrid course, “A Hybrid Course on Water Quality: An Approach to People’s Water Data”, developed in collaboration with Tel Aviv University and with the participation of the KMCH Research Foundation, and delivered through the National Program on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL).[3] The program combined online instruction with field-based practical training and the collection of water-quality observations from households and other water sources. Subsequent course batches continued the model, and by 2026 the program had expanded to participants and institutions beyond the original Tamil Nadu pilot.[4][5]

  1. ↑ Kagan, Suzan; Hamilton, Ben; Lichtman, Timor; Skliarevskaia, Aleksandra; Seth, Sonali; Nayak, Tanmayaa; ben Giat, Shakked; Izikson, Tohar; Belykh, Roman; Lonappan, Mary Nellissery; Durai, Tabitha; Gokul, Devendran; Pradeep, Thalappil; Mamane, Hadas (2026-05-13). "Evaluating household reverse osmosis systems for microbial safety: A case study from Chennai, India". Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology. Nature Publishing Group: 1–12. doi:10.1038/s41370-026-00911-5. ISSN 1559-064X.
  2. ↑ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ↑ Cite error: The named reference :3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ↑ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ↑ https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/iit-madras-tel-aviv-univ-to-train-5000-students-in-water-literacy/articleshow/128392612.cms

Methodology

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People’s Water Data uses a decentralized citizen-science framework in which participants receive training in household surveys, water sampling, field measurements and digital data recording. Participating institutions use common protocols so that water-quality observations collected at different locations can be recorded in a consistent format.[1] Sampling includes water at the point of use, such as household taps, storage vessels or treatment outlets, and, where relevant, source or pre-treatment water.[1][2]

Each record combines contextual survey information and geographic coordinates with physicochemical measurements, including pH, conductivity, total dissolved solids, turbidity, temperature, alkalinity, oxidation-reduction potential, and free and total chlorine. Microbiological testing includes Escherichia coli and total coliforms.[1][3] Submitted records undergo quality-control procedures, including checks for completeness, consistency, and anomalous values, before validated data are incorporated into a shared digital platform used for mapping, visualization, and comparison of water-quality observations across participating sites.[4]

In the published methodology, the authors describe the PWD framework as adaptable to different geographic and institutional settings, provided that appropriate training, quality-control procedures, and local ethical and regulatory requirements are addressed.[1]

  1. 1 2 3 4 Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ↑ Cite error: The named reference :4 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ↑ "Validation request". www.iitm.ac.in. Archived from the original on 2024-09-15. Retrieved 2026-09-22.
  4. ↑ Data, People's Water. "People's Water Data - Community Water Quality Monitoring". www.peopleswaterdata.org. Retrieved 2026-09-22.

Research

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Research associated with People’s Water Data has examined household drinking-water quality, household treatment practices, and the development of decentralized approaches to water-quality monitoring.[1][2]

A peer-reviewed study published in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology in 2026 evaluated household reverse-osmosis (RO) systems in Chennai using household surveys and water-quality measurements. Water samples were collected before and after RO treatment from 216 households, comprising 262 samples in total. Escherichia coli was detected in 31% of post-treatment samples, compared with 71% of untreated samples. The study found that household treatment reduced microbial contamination but did not consistently ensure microbiological safety, and examined relationships between water quality, maintenance practices, user behaviour, and education.[2]

A separate 2026 study in ACS Sustainable Resource Management described the design and validation of the People’s Water Data monitoring framework. The study examined the use of standardized training and field protocols, geolocated data collection, water-quality measurements, and quality-control procedures for decentralized monitoring across participating institutions and locations.[1]

Research associated with PWD has also explored the use of physicochemical and contextual measurements for microbial-risk screening. In this work, predictive models were evaluated as tools for prioritizing samples for confirmatory microbiological testing rather than as replacements for direct microbiological analysis.

Institutional collaborations

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People’s Water Data was developed through collaboration between the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) and Tel Aviv University, with the KMCH Research Foundation participating in educational and field activities.[3] Participating universities and colleges have also hosted practical sessions and supported local data collection within the course-based program.

  1. 1 2 Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. 1 2 Cite error: The named reference :4 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ↑ Cite error: The named reference :3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

Educational model

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A central component of People’s Water Data is a hybrid educational program delivered through the National Program on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL) and participating institutions. The course, “A Hybrid Course on Water Quality - An Approach to People’s Water Data,” combines online instruction, assignments and quizzes with laboratory demonstrations and supervised fieldwork. The curriculum covers water-quality parameters, their relevance to human health, sampling and measurement methods, and the interpretation of field results.[1]

The educational model links classroom instruction with field-based data collection. Participants apply standardized protocols in household and other local sampling settings and contribute observations to a shared database, while academic teams provide technical guidance and quality review.[2] IIT Madras has described the program as aiming to develop “water-literate citizens” while generating structured water-quality data.[1]

Applications

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People’s Water Data has been used for household point-of-use water-quality assessment, monitoring of source and pre-treatment water, academic research, water-literacy activities, and spatial visualization of water-quality observations.[2] By combining water-quality measurements with household surveys and geolocation data, the framework allows researchers to examine water quality alongside treatment practices, maintenance, and other contextual factors.[2][1]

  1. 1 2 3 Cite error: The named reference :3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. 1 2 3 Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

See also

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  • Citizen science
  • Drinking water
  • Water quality
  • Household water treatment
  • Point of use

Category:Citizen science Category:Water quality indicators Category:Drinking water

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