Village Visits and Water Awareness Survey

Overview

As part of our human practices and outreach efforts, our team visited three villages near IISER Berhampur campus to better understand rural water management practices and awareness levels. The intent was not only to learn about the technical challenges of water safety, but also to engage with communities directly and gain first-hand perspectives on how they access and consume water.
To our pleasant surprise, the people in all three villages welcomed us warmly. Far from being hesitant, they were cheerful, approachable, and eager to share their stories. This positive reception turned the survey into an engaging dialogue, giving us valuable insights into local realities.

Conversations with the Community

The villagers were open and friendly, inviting us to sit and discuss their daily lives. Conversations revolved naturally around water—their primary source, the ways it is managed, and the role filters play, if any, in their households. What emerged was a revealing picture of both resourcefulness and vulnerability.
Most families reported relying on their own borewell systems for daily needs like washing, cleaning, and irrigation. However, they admitted that the borewell water carried a strange taste, and they did not consider it safe for drinking.

Drinking Water Sources

When we asked where they fetched water for drinking, the majority explained that they carried large cans or containers to the village schools. There, they said, was a 'water filter' accessible to everyone. Later upon inspection, we found to our surprise that it was not a filtration unit at all—it was simply a handpump installed within the school premises.
This meant that villagers believed they were accessing safer water but, in reality, were only drawing untreated groundwater. The confidence with which they described it as a filter highlighted how limited awareness and misinformation can shape perceptions of water safety.

Lack of Household Filtration

None of the three villages reported having any form of household water purification. Water from the borewell or handpump was consumed directly, without boiling, filtering, or chemical treatment. Families trusted taste and appearance as indicators of safety, even when scientific evidence shows that contaminants are often invisible and tasteless.
This gap between perception and reality poses a major risk. With groundwater in the region already affected by industrial activity and natural contamination, consuming untreated water places villagers at risk of long-term health issues such as heavy metal poisoning, gastrointestinal infections, and other waterborne diseases.

Implications

The survey underscored a central issue: while infrastructure like borewells and handpumps provides physical access to water, it does not guarantee safety. Villagers equated availability with purity, and the lack of filtration technology was coupled with a lack of awareness about its necessity.
This situation illustrates how technical solutions must be paired with community engagement. Technology alone cannot solve water crises unless people understand both the risks of untreated water and the benefits of purification.

Looking Forward

Our village visits revealed the dual challenge of water safety and public awareness. On the one hand, communities need affordable, decentralized solutions like POSEIDON—filters that can remove toxic metals and deliver clean water directly at the point of use. On the other hand, they need education and outreach to recognize why such interventions matter.
By aligning with education for awareness-building and implementation for technological deployment, we envision bridging this gap. The smiles and openness of the villagers we met inspire us to create not just devices, but also conversations—ensuring that solutions are not only available, but also understood and trusted.