CHENNAI: IN ten more days, Chennai will become the first Indian city to recycle sewage and supply it for industrial purposes. A new treatment plant is being built in Kodungaiyur, which is likely to be completed by the first week of August.
This plant will supply recycled sewage water to industries, thereby ensuring that fresh drinking water is reserved for residential use. The move, Metro Water Board officials say, will help city tide over water crisis.
Another treatment plant, under construction in Koyambedu, is likely to become operational in September. Together, these two plants can treat 90 million litres of sewage per day using the reverse osmosis technique.
How is this done?
Usually, after secondary treatment, sewage water is released into city’s rivers. Now, it will be sent to these new plants for a third level of treatment. This will make the water fit enough for industrial usage.For the last 10 years, every day, 40 million litres of freshwater is supplied to industries in Manali, Minjur and Ennore in North Chennai, apart from Oragadam and Sriperumbudur in the outskirts. The water comes from Chembarambakkam reservoir and Minjur desalination plant.
“The plant in Kodungaiyur will initially treat 15 MLD, which will slowly be increased to 35 MLD, and then to its full capacity of 45 MLD. Industries will benefit from this project as they will get 50 MLD treated water,” an official said.
“Once the plant is commissioned, the freshwater saved will be supplied to residential areas in Tiruvottiyur, Tondiarpet, Royapuram, Madhavaram and Manali in the North; and Chintadripet, Purasawalkam, Egmore, T Nagar, and Mambalam in the central part of the city.
“Now that Chembarambakkam reservoir has gone dry, it’s water from the quarries that is being supplied to industries. Earlier, close to 30 MLD from the reservoir was supplied to industries in SIPCOT. We will be supplying treated water to six out of 27 industries in the Manali belt initially,” said the official. Also, thanks to the new plants, 20 per cent of sewage water is likely to get recycled now. In due course, the total capacity of the two plants will be increased from 90MLD to 120 MLD. The capacity expansion would be completed by July 2020.
1 more plant
Another treatment plant is under construction in Koyembedu, and will become operational in September. Together, these two plants can treat upto 90 million litres of sewage per day