Chembarambakkam Treatment Plant, Water Filled Quarries Inspected by CMWSSB MD

CHENNAI: Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) managing director T. Anand on Tuesday inspected the Chembarambakkam water treatment plant and the abandoned stone quarries at Sikkarayapuram and Erumaiyur, which serve as emergency water sources for the city’s drinking water supply.

During the inspection, he reviewed the functioning of the Chembarambakkam treatment plant, one of the key facilities supplying drinking water to Chennai. Water from the Chembarambakkam reservoir is drawn through an intake tower and conveyed to the treatment plant through twin 1,500-mm diameter mild steel transmission pipelines.

According to CMWSSB, the plant is equipped with supervisory control and data acquisition (Scada) and programmable logic controller (PLC) systems, enabling automated monitoring and control of the treatment process to ensure reliable operations and efficient water purification.

The treated water from the Chembarambakkam plant caters to the drinking water needs of nearly 20 lakh residents across Ambattur, Anna Nagar, Teynampet, Kodambakkam, Valasaravakkam, Alandur and Adyar zones, besides Tambaram Corporation, and the municipalities of Kundrathur and Sriperumbudur.

During the inspection, the managing director instructed the officials to ensure uninterrupted treatment operations and maintain a steady supply of potable water.

Earlier in the day, Anand also inspected the abandoned quarries at Sikkarayapuram and Erumaiyur in Kanchipuram district. CMWSSB has developed these quarries as alternative water sources by storing rainwater for use during emergencies to augment Chennai’s drinking water supply.

The rainwater stored in the quarries is transported to the Chembarambakkam treatment plant through ductile iron (DI) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipelines using high-capacity pumps and generator-backed infrastructure.

Officials said the Sikkarayapuram quarry has a total storage capacity of 0.50 thousand million cubic feet (tmc ft) and currently holds 0.375 tmc ft of water. At an extraction rate of 30 million litres per day (MLD), the quarry can supply water for approximately 354 days.

Similarly, the Erumaiyur quarry has a total storage capacity of 0.20 tmc ft, with the current storage standing at 0.15 tmc ft. At 10 MLD, it can provide water for around 425 days.

Anand directed the officials to ensure proper maintenance and protection of the quarry infrastructure to keep the emergency water sources ready for use.

Chief engineer G.B. Vaidehi, superintending engineer K. Kalaichelvan, assistant executive engineer P. Jothi Murugan, and other officials accompanied the managing director during the inspection.