The Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati (IITG) researchers developing a community scale water treatment system for the removal of fluoride and iron from groundwater have sparked renewed optimism for sustainable solutions for the treatment of contaminated water in Assam. Successful installation of the developed technology as a pilot project with the support of the Assam Public Health Engineering Department is good news for areas affected by fluoride and iron contamination. Apart from cost-effectiveness, commercial scalability of the application of the technology will be determined by the quality of after-sale service, maintenance and safety assurance. Studies conducted by the Central Ground Water Board found that almost all districts recorded high iron content in groundwater beyond the permissible limit. “High iron content in groundwater beyond the permissible limit of 1 1mg/L has been recorded in almost all the districts. The occurrence of fluoride in deeper aquifers has been found in pockets of Karbi Anglong and Nagaon districts. Further, sporadic occurrence of arsenic in shallow aquifers has been detected in Lakhimpur, Nalbari, Cachar, Goalpara, Dhemaji, Karimganj and Jorhat districts. Besides, the Assam Public Health Engineering Department has detected arsenic in 19 districts of Assam,” states the Central Ground Water Board report titled “Dynamic Ground Water Resources of Assam, 2024”, which reflects the magnitude of the problem of contamination of groundwater in the state. The IITG research team has claimed that the system developed by them can treat 20,000 litres a day, remove 94% of iron and 89% of fluoride at a cost of Rs 20 per 1000 litres, requires minimal supervision and has a projected lifespan of 15 years with electrode replacement scheduled every six months. The operational guidelines of the Jal Jeevan Mission, the flagship scheme of providing functional tap water connection to every rural household, stipulate that every state/union territory has to identify and train five persons, preferably women, in a village for conducting water quality testing using a field testing kit for the presence of iron, fluoride, odour, hardness, pH value, etc. Adequate availability of testing kits and quality of training of FTK users play a crucial role for timely remedial action upon detection of contamination in a water sample in affected habitation. The IITG release on the development of the community-scale water treatment system explains that consumption of water with excess fluoride presence can lead to skeletal fluorosis, a serious health condition in which bones harden and joints become stiff, making physical movement difficult and painful. Building community awareness on consumption of safe drinking water free from contaminants is essential to strengthen monitoring and surveillance of water quality and to ensure that the village team trained to test the quality of water supplied under the JJM mission performs their duties sincerely. Ensuring transparency in sample collection, testing and findings of the field testing is crucial to boost the confidence of households using piped water for drinking and cooking purposes. The availability of safe drinking water is vital for staying healthy and protected from various waterborne diseases, while consumed water being free from contaminants is essential to stay protected from various chronic illnesses. Community awareness of conservation of all sources of water – surface and underground – is crucial for sustainable use of water. Promoting rainwater harvesting is an effective way of preventing depletion of the groundwater table, as rainwater stored can be used for gardening, washing of clothes, cleaning of vehicles, etc., instead of using piped water, which is meant for consumption and cooking, for such work. Aligning solid and liquid waste management with conservation of various surface water sources like rivers, ponds, lakes and springs can prevent contamination of water sources. Water sources remaining free from pollution is a must for the sustainability of piped water supply schemes. Unfortunately, plastic pollution has increased across villages with the growth of the consumer economy, while piles of plastic and other solid wastes growing in size near water bodies due to a lack of a scientific and efficient waste management system are posing serious pollution threats to many surface water sources. If not checked now, water in these sources will become unfit for human consumption and will render water supply schemes dependent on such water sources in villages unsustainable. Awareness drives on the Swachh Bharat Mission and conservation of water bodies cannot be run in silos. Rather, linking the two is of paramount importance to the mainstream community’s role in both the campaign. The formation of Water Users Committees for the operation and maintenance of piped water supply schemes, no doubt, is a great concept, but the challenge is to imbibe the sense of ownership of the assets created under the scheme among the members so that the villagers do not remain passive beneficiaries of government-funded water supply schemes but become active stakeholders to play their part in the availability of water and sustainable use. Enhanced community awareness on sustainable water use will make the water users committee a vibrant democratic institution and will ensure a supply of contamination-free water.