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.