Chennai’s water supply will be augmented through more waterbodies, emphasising recycled water.
What’s it about? Soon, the city’s alternate water sources will be the lakes in Ayanambakkam, Nanmangalam, Keelkattalai, and Narayanapuram. The tertiary treatment plants using ultrafiltration (TTUF) will also help promote the potable use of recycled water. The project, funded by the World Bank, will help decentralise treatment and ensure adequate storage in the lakes.
- Once approved, the TTUFs will be built to replenish the water table. Last year, the Nesapakkam plant was commissioned with a capacity of 10 million litres a day.
- Work is on to complete the TTUF plant at Perungudi. The water treated here will be discharged into the Perungudi lake and supplied to nearby areas.
Water needs and supply: According to L Elango from Anna University’s Geology department, recycled water could meet 30% of the city’s demands by 2030. The gap between demand and supply will increase to nearly 380 million litres a day by 2030. He added there’s a danger of contaminated waterbodies and sewage outfalls should be plugged.