ECR, OMR and Tambaram to Get Piped Water Supply by Next Year

Residents of OMR, ECR, and Tambaram in Chennai are set to receive a piped water supply of 400 MLD by next year as progress continues on the Perur desalination plant. Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department Secretary Gagandeep Singh Bedi inspected the project site on Saturday to review the ongoing infrastructure works and directed officials to ensure deadlines are met.

The ₹5,814-crore project aims to transition South Chennai neighbourhoods away from their current reliance on borewells and private water tankers. According to officials, 66.5 percent of the work on the Perur desalination plant has already been completed.

The active construction work on-site includes the setup of intake facilities, clarifiers, reverse osmosis systems, reservoirs, sludge treatment units, and utility buildings. Significant progress has also been made on marine works, where underground 2,500mm HDPE pipelines are being laid beneath the seabed. To date, two intake pipelines and a brine outfall line have already been completed and connected.

To transport the desalinated water to the city, crews are laying large transmission pipelines from Perur to Porur, spanning a total distance of 59 kilometres. Out of 37.13 kilometres of pipeline procured so far, 10.32 kilometres have been successfully laid. Under the specific Perur–Kovilancheri package, workers have completed 7.13 kilometres of the planned 27.1-kilometre pipeline.

The project contract stipulates a 42-month construction window followed by 20 years of operation and maintenance. The government is aiming to fully commission the plant by October 2027.

The Saturday visit marked Bedi's first field inspection since the new state government took office. Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, who heads the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department, had previously directed officials during initial review meetings to prioritise the completion of ongoing drinking water projects across the region.