In a bid to cut wastage and ensure supply of quality water to nearly
67.2 lakh residents, Chennai Metro Water is planning to introduce
complete automation at water-filling points located at 30 distribution
stations in the city.
Metro Water officials told Express that the
board envisages complete automation of filling points through a
computerized filling system that ensures all areas receive adequate
water supply. This would also eliminate manual operation of valves and
entry of particulars and logs at filling points, the sources explained.
Automation
equipment has already been installed at the filling station at Kilpauk,
which is the first to get the upgrade. A metro water official said the
filling stations are provided with pneumatically operated valves that
are linked to a central cabin at the filling point. All controls of the
facility including, the one-off switches, are handled by personnel at
the filling point.
The revamped filling stations will have
electromagnetic flow meters to ascertain the quantity of water filled in
lorries through the filling points. The batch controller in the control
cabin at filling points would regulate the pre-programmed quantity of
water to be filled in carrier lorries.
Wireless controllers are
provided to transfer data for report generation, which can be assessed
from any location through the Internet. Furthermore, gate passes and
consumer authorization copies are also generated through computers,
thereby eliminating manual entries and minimizing wastage of water.
“This would ensure easy and effective monitoring of the timely delivery
of water to public,” a official added.
The measures are being taken up as Metro Water’s tanker fleet has grown to 3,894 vehicles, to ensure supplies.
