Filtered water at Bengaluru restaurants may not be as safe as assumed. A study finds that over 50% samples are contaminated with faecal bacteria. A hand washbasin next to the water filter unit in a restaurant in Bengaluru. Pic: Priyanka Jamwal. Across urban India, environmental awareness is increasing, and one of the ways people practise their commitment to minimise their environmental footprint is by reducing their plastic waste. In restaurants, where the sale of plastic bottles and free “filtered water” are both ubiquitous, the decision regarding which water to consume contributes to the growing plastic waste among citizens.