COIMBATORE: Following complaints from residents over the supply of yellowish drinking water in several parts of the city, the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) Commissioner Katta Ravi Teja has instructed officials to collect water samples from three different locations and send them to laboratories for testing.
The move comes amid growing concerns among residents over the quality of drinking water supplied to their homes over the past week. Several localities have reported receiving water with a yellowish tinge, prompting questions about whether the water is being adequately treated before distribution.
According to officials from the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage (TWAD) Board, the discolouration is primarily due to increased turbidity caused by heavy rainfall in the catchment areas of the Pillur Dam in the Nilgiris district over the past few weeks.
While residents supplied under Pillur Scheme II have reportedly continued to receive clear water, discolouration has been noticed in areas covered by Pillur Scheme III and the Kavundampalayam-Vadavalli-Veerakeralam (KVV) water supply scheme.
The issue has also triggered concern among residents in the North Zone, with a few of them submitting a petition to the CCMC mayor and commissioner on Tuesday, urging the civic body to take immediate steps to ensure the supply of clean and safe drinking water.
Speaking to TNIE, Commissioner Katta Ravi Teja said the change in water colour was due to turbidity and not contamination.
"The water discolouration is mainly due to the turbidity. The turbidity in the drinking water supplied across the city has now dropped to less than 100 (from 268.8 NTU last week). There has been no contamination in the water, just turbidity, and it's safe to consume," he said. He added that the civic body has decided to conduct laboratory tests to address residents' concerns and establish the quality of the water being supplied.
As part of the exercise, officials have been instructed to collect three water samples from different stages of the supply system. The samples will be taken from the reservoir or river, the headworks treatment plant and a randomly-selected residential unit in the North Zone of the city. The samples are set to be collected on Wednesday and sent to laboratories for testing. The CCMC officials are expected to publish the test results and reports soon.