More than ninety percent of India’s rural drinking water is sourced from aquifers. The presence of fluoride, arsenic, salinity, iron and many other contaminants has emerged as serious threats to drinking water security throughout India. More than sixty percent of India’s districts show some groundwater problem related to depletion or contamination. Groundwater contamination is linked to geogenic factors (derived from the geology) anthropogenic forcing (human usage and disposal). In fact, exploitation of groundwater resources also leads to deterioration in groundwater quality. Aquifers form both the source for drinking water and the sinks for sanitation and therefore both drinking water and sanitation programmes need to be designed with due consideration to local aquifer settings and conditions. Water quality assessments in India are seldom used beyond the aspect of securing safe drinking water. Groundwater quality is an important factor in delineating and characterising aquifers as detailed water quality assessment helps in understanding recharge cycles and aquifer dynamics.