In order to supply quality drinking water, the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) is planning to built decentralised water treatment plants with a combined capacity of 10 million litres per day (MLD) near three lakes within six months.
“We have floated a tender to execute the plan. We also plan to set up an additional 6 MLD water treatment plant at Porur lake to augment the water supply,” a CMWSSB official said. During the 2017 drought, the managers at CMWSSB had built a treatment plant near Porur lake. The plant was supplying four million litres of water everyday.
According to the official, the waters from Rettai Eri, Perumbakkam lake and Ayanambakkam lake would be supplied to areas around Kolathur, Sholinganallur and Mogappair respectively.
The CMWSSB had also conducted a survey at 13 lakes such as Rettai Eri, Perumbakkam and Ayanambakkam lakes and six quarries where it was learned that lake water can be drinkable after treatment. “We have already created the infrastructure to pipe 30 MLD water from several abandoned quarries from Sikkarayapuram to Chembarambakkam water treatment plant,” the official said.
The board has also proposed to draw 10 MLD of water from abandoned quarries in Erumaiyur. The water there will be diverted to the treatment plant near Chembarambakkam lake and from there the treated water will be supplied to the city. “The bidder for the plant will also lay the conveyance system for Erumaiyur quarries,” the official added.
The four major lakes supplying drinking water to the city have a combined storage capacity of 13.5 per cent against the total storage capacity of 318.57 billion litres. The board is supplying 650 million litres of drinking water every alternate day.