Bhubaneswar: Water Corporation of Odisha (Watco) has initiated the process to set up 46 water quality testing laboratories across the state to undertake long-term monitoring of water quality in urban areas.The Watco recently floated a tender for the project, estimated at Rs 3.61 crore, which includes the establishment of laboratories, and their operation and maintenance over a 10-year period. The selected agency will be required to set up the laboratories within six months and subsequently manage water quality monitoring activities.The proposed laboratories will come up in 29 urban local bodies (ULBs) under Watco’s jurisdiction, including Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Puri, Berhampur, Rourkela, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Baripada and Keonjhar. Bhubaneswar will get five laboratories, while Sambalpur will have six. Other towns will have one to three laboratories depending on the scale of their water supply systems.The Watco currently operates a water treatment plant at Basuaghai on the city outskirts and testing centre near river Kuakhai for Bhubaneswar.According to the tender documents, the initiative is aimed at strengthening the state’s water quality monitoring framework in line with Odisha State Urban Water Supply Policy. The laboratories will be developed as advanced testing facilities conforming to National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) standards.The new laboratories will be equipped with modern instruments such as pH and turbidity meters, conductivity and TDS meters, colorimeters, chloroscopes and other testing equipment. The Watco will provide infrastructure and utility facilities, while the agency will supply equipment, chemicals, laboratory consumables and trained manpower.Samples will be collected regularly from multiple stages of the supply chain, including raw water sources, treatment plants, reservoirs, distribution networks and consumer points. Tests will be carried out for key parameters such as turbidity, pH, residual chlorine, total dissolved solids, alkalinity, colour and odour.The tender also mandates the deployment of dedicated laboratory staff and periodic training programmes to ensure adherence to prescribed national standards and protocols. Sampling and testing activities will follow required parameters such as IS 3025 and APHA guidelines, officials said.
