GUWAHATI: A survey conducted by a voluntary association called ‘Jeevan Initiative’ has revealed the high presence of microbes in drinking water at various public places, including schools and hospitals in the city. The association collected samples from drinking water facilities installed at 10 prominent public places in the city and found that all of them failed in the bacteriological test, while four of them failed even in the chemical tests, after it was submitted at the State Public Health Laboratory for analysis. The findings of the tests, which were carried out as per IS 10500: 1991 standard revealed that water in all these places is unsatisfactory for drinking purpose. The samples were collected from drinking water facilities at Guwahati Railway Station, Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) canteen at Paltan Bazar, Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT) Canteen, Gauhati Medical College Hospital, Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital, Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra, Latashil Primary School, Guwahati Blind High School, Gauhati University Arts Canteen and the Court premises of the District and Session Judge, Kamrup. Samples were also collected in sterile bottles purchased from the Public Health Laboratory. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the presence of E Coli bacteria should be zero per 100 ml of any drinking water. Presence of E Coli is proof enough that the water is unfit for drinking. Coliform bacteria too should be totally absent in drinking water. The more such bacteria form, the more is the infection. And yet, in all of the water samples tested, the dangerous presence of both E Coli and Coliform has been detected, the study revealed. In drinking water samples collected from ASTC, E Coli has been found to be 2,400 MPN/100 ml while it is 1,100 in the Railway Station and Blind High School, 240 in University, 150 in ISBT, 44 in district and Sessions Court premises, 43 in GMC Hospital, 21 Latasil Primary School, 17 in MMC Hospital and 4 in Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra. However, all of these should have been zero. On the other hand, Coliform organism in drinking water sample collected from Railway Station, ASTC, ISBT, Blind High School and the Court premises of District and Session Judge, Kamrup, has been found to be 24,00 MPN/100 ml, while it’s 1100 in MMC Hospital, 460 in University, 240 in GMC Hospital 93 in Latasil Primary School and 9 in Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra, while all of these should have been zero. Samples collected from drinking water facilities of ASTC Canteen, Railway Station, MMC Hospital and the Court premises of District and Session Judge were found to be chemically unsatisfactory as well. Turbidity in ASTC Canteen water is 11 NTU, while the maximum limit is 5 NTU. Turbidity in Railway Station water is also higher (9 NTU). It also contains 0.53 mg of Iron. Water sample collected from the court premises of District and Session Judge, has higher turbidity (10 NTU) as well as higher total solid (614 mg) beyond the normal limit of 500 mg and total alkalinity (360) beyond the limit of 200 mg. It may be mentioned that drinking water infected with bacteria may cause various diseases including hepatitis A, B, C, jaundice, diarrhoea, typhoid, dysentery, cholera along with other infections, revealed the study.