Residents across several eastern Pune neighbourhoods troubled by yellowish tap water over the past few days may have to wait another three to four days for normal supply to resume. On Wednesday, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) attributed the issue to deteriorating raw water quality from the Bhama Askhed dam, even as it maintained that the treated water remains safe for consumption.Following a spate of complaints about yellow-coloured water supply, PMC inspected the treatment facility and the distribution network. (HT)The affected areas include Dhanori, Tingre Nagar, Vishrantwadi, Yerawada, Wadgaonsheri and parts of Ahmednagar Road, which receive water processed at PMC’s water treatment plant at Kuruli. For the past couple of weeks, area residents have reportedly been receiving pale yellow and muddy water, officials said.“While the colour level remains slightly above standard limits, the water has tested free of bacteria and is fit for drinking. As a precaution, residents should filter and boil water before use,” said Nandkishor Jagtap, chief engineer, PMC water supply.Ganesh Kakade, a resident of Dhabori, said, “PMC says the water is safe, but when yellow water comes out of the tap, it naturally creates fear among residents. We are spending extra money on packaged drinking water while still paying regular water charges. Civic authorities need a permanent solution instead of temporary fixes every time this happens,” he said.Another resident Rohit Bhosale from Kharadi, said, “This is not the first time residents in Kharadi and nearby eastern areas have faced discoloured water supply. Every few months, we see yellowish or muddy water coming from taps, and despite repeated complaints, the issue keeps recurring. People are worried about using this water for drinking and cooking, especially for children and senior citizens.”Following a spate of complaints about yellow-coloured water supply, PMC inspected the treatment facility and the distribution network. The problem appears to have begun after rainfall in the catchment area earlier this month, officials said.According to the civic body, the colour of untreated water reaching the treatment plant has worsened significantly since around May 11. Earlier, the raw water colour level was between 5 and 10 Hazen units, but it has gradually risen to 30 to 40 Hazen units. The change is linked to falling reservoir levels, recent weather conditions and increased algal growth in the dam water.PMC said that although the water is treated at the Kuruli plant, removing the yellowish tint entirely takes time when the raw water quality deteriorates sharply.The civic officials said they increased the dosage of alum to improve clarification and reduce discolouration. Officials said the colour level in treated water has already been brought down to around 10 Hazen units, with further improvement underway. However, due to the long distance between the Bhama Askhed (Kuruli) treatment plant and the city’s storage reservoirs and distribution pipelines, previously supplied discoloured water may still remain in parts of the network.Jagtap further added, “This is a system flushing issue as much as a treatment issue. It may take three to four days for the old water in storage tanks and pipelines to be fully replaced.”PMC officials said water quality tests conducted at the treatment plant showed that while the colour parameter remains marginally above IS 10500:2012 drinking water standards, key safety indicators such as residual chlorine and other chemical parameters are within permissible limits, and no bacterial contamination has been detected.The civic body also clarified that some complaints of contaminated water from isolated localities were linked to faults in local distribution infrastructure, not the central treatment plant. Repair work in such areas is underway, and residents should not panic and should take precautions until the supply fully stabilises, they said.