As the monsoon failed this season, Chennai will face water scarcity in the coming days. To tackle the crisis, Metrowater plans to use tertiary treated waste water for city water supply on a trial basis.
The agency has called for bids to construct 10 mld-capacity tertiary treatment plants in Nesapakkam and Perungudi and release the recycled waste water into the Porur and Perungudi lakes.
According to a media report, there are plans to treat the water from these lakes and link it to the existing city water supply network. An additional 6-mld water treatment plant would be built near the Porur lake for the purpose. The project is being implemented based on the IIT-Madras model use of reclaimed water.
The lakes, which are major sources for city water supply, are heavily monsoon-dependent and fail to quench the city’s thirst during a drought. The government recently sanctioned Rs 79 crore for various projects to augment water resources infrastructure, officials said.
According to sources, there are primary and secondary tertiary treatment plants at Nesapakkam. About 90 mld (Millions of Liters Per Day) waste water is treated and let into Adyar river. Now, with the new plant at Nesapakkam, the recycled water can be used for other residential purpose. For drinking, it has to under go chlorination process and only then it can be used, a former official said.