COIMBATORE: Panic gripped residents of Kandasamy Layout in Papanaickenpalayam after several families complained of a foul smell and discolouration in the drinking water supplied to their homes.
Located in Ward 49 in the central zone of the city, the area is home to multiple apartment complexes and independent houses, where many residents suspected mixing of sewage in their drinking water.
Following complaints, officials from the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation's (CCMC) water supply wing rushed to the spot and initiated water quality tests. Samples were taken on Thursday and sent to a certified lab for analysis.
Speaking to TNIE, a senior official from the water supply wing said, "The results that came in on Friday confirmed that there are no harmful chemicals or sewage contamination in the water. We also noticed that the chlorine content was low - just around 0.2 parts per million (PPM)."
To ensure accuracy, additional samples were collected again on Friday by both the Suez water management team and the Public Health Department. Meanwhile, manual inspections were carried out near the underground pipelines, despite the challenge posed by the presence of high-tension (HT) electricity lines near the water supply pipelines.
"We couldn't use earthmovers because of the underground HT lines. So we dug the road manually, checked the pipelines and cleaned them. The water supplied to this area was slightly discoloured due to the overflow of the Pillur Dam and the rains," the official added.
However, some residents remain unconvinced.
"We have been getting water that smells foul and looks murky for the last few days. We were scared to even use it for bathing," said S Vasanthi, a resident of an apartment complex in the layout.
The CCMC has urged all residents to clean their individual and common storage tanks and assured that water quality will continue to be monitored in the coming days.