The Hindu       21.09.2016  

Corporation plans to set up permanent treatment plant

The Tiruchi Corporation has planned to establish a
permanent treatment plant at the Coleroon Drinking Water Supply
Augmentation Scheme to reduce the iron content in the water and address
the persistent complaints on the water being discoloured in some parts
of the city.

Ever since the water scheme was
commissioned in 2014, there have been complaints from residents that the
piped water supplied to them was muddy and discoloured. The scheme,
sanctioned at an initial estimate of Rs.221.42 crore, was executed with
financial assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency
(JICA). The scheme aimed at increasing the per capita drinking water
supply to 135 litres a day and ensuring equitable distribution to all
parts of the city. Thirty-seven new overhead tanks were built under the
new scheme

The new scheme has its source at the
Coleroon River where collector wells have been built. The Corporation is
currently said to be pumping about 30 million litres a day (MLD) from
the scheme.

Residents in several pockets of the city
have complained that were getting discoloured water ever since the
corporation started pumping water directly from the new scheme. The iron
content in the water is also said to be high. Councillors representing
some of the wards in the areas have been raising the issue at the
corporation council over the past few months.

Following
this, the Corporation had taken up a pilot project to treat the water
as the iron content was said to be slightly higher than the permissible
level of 0.3 mg per litre.

Corporation sources said
that under the pilot project the iron content had come down after the
treatment process. Hence, the civic body has now planned to go in for a
permanent treatment plant. The Corporation would soon call for
expression of interest for drawing up the detailed project estimate for
the project after obtaining approval from the Commissioner of Municipal
Administration.

The proposal would be forwarded to
the Commissioner of Municipal Administration after an official
resolution is approved on the issue by the Corporation Council, the
sources added.