Chembarambakkam Lake - செம்பரம்பாக்கம் ஏரி
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The Chembarambakkam Lake, one of the city's main drinking water sources, is under "green attack". It is losing water due to the invasion by aquatic vegetation, according to a study done by the Centre for Remote Sensing and Geoinformatics, Sathyabama Deemed University. The centre is a collaborative venture of the varsity and the Indian Space Research Organisation.
With the formal inauguration of the new Chembarambakkam Water Treatment Plant (WTP) the second largest of its kind in India in July 2007, the city of Chennai took a major step towards putting its perennial water problems firmly behind it Adding 530,000m³ per day, the new works designed and built by Degrémont bring the city's total water treatment capacity to 128 million cubic meters per day "It was designed around providing highly efficient treatment, minimal water losses and optimum land usage".
The total project budget was 517m, the plant itself accounting for 252m.
The Chembarambakkam WTP project gained its initial approval in 1996 and nine years later in May 2005 the Chennai Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) awarded the contract to design, construct and operate the facility to meet the needs of the city's growing population. The plant itself was designed and built in 24 months construction being completed in the spring of 2007, followed by a three month trial run ahead of its formal opening by Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister, Dr Kalaignar M Karunanidhi Degrémont are to operate the facility for the following seven years.
Raw water drawn from the Chembarambakkam Lake arrives at the plant and initially tumbles through a cascade feature, before flowing first to the distribution chamber and then into the pulsator clarifiers "Adding 530,000m³ per day, the new works bring the city's total water treatment capacity to 128 million m³ per day".
Filtered product water flows to the plant's treated water reservoir, before finally entering the city's distribution system Filter wastewater is conveyed to recovery tanks settled solids entering thickeners along with solids from the clarifier stage, while the liquid is returned to the initial cascade Solids from the thickeners are centrifuged and the sludge sent for disposal, while the recovered water is returned once again to the cascade Plant operation is fully automated and managed using a SCADA system.
With the formal inauguration of the new Chembarambakkam Water Treatment Plant (WTP) the second largest of its kind in India in July 2007, the city of Chennai took a major step towards putting its perennial water problems firmly behind it Adding 530,000m³ per day, the new works designed and built by Degrémont bring the city's total water treatment capacity to 128 million cubic meters per day "It was designed around providing highly efficient treatment, minimal water losses and optimum land usage".
The total project budget was 517m, the plant itself accounting for 252m.
The Chembarambakkam WTP project gained its initial approval in 1996 and nine years later in May 2005 the Chennai Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) awarded the contract to design, construct and operate the facility to meet the needs of the city's growing population. The plant itself was designed and built in 24 months construction being completed in the spring of 2007, followed by a three month trial run ahead of its formal opening by Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister, Dr Kalaignar M Karunanidhi Degrémont are to operate the facility for the following seven years.
Plant Design
Chembarambakkam WTP is India's second largest single stage water treatment facility and makes use of state-of-the-art, proven technologies appropriate to the sub-continent's conditions. It was designed around providing highly efficient treatment, minimal water losses and optimum land usage At the heart of the system are Degrémont's patented Aquazur V filters and Pulsator clarifiers which offer high operational flexibility and low running costs for a small overall footprint.Raw water drawn from the Chembarambakkam Lake arrives at the plant and initially tumbles through a cascade feature, before flowing first to the distribution chamber and then into the pulsator clarifiers "Adding 530,000m³ per day, the new works bring the city's total water treatment capacity to 128 million m³ per day".
Filtered product water flows to the plant's treated water reservoir, before finally entering the city's distribution system Filter wastewater is conveyed to recovery tanks settled solids entering thickeners along with solids from the clarifier stage, while the liquid is returned to the initial cascade Solids from the thickeners are centrifuged and the sludge sent for disposal, while the recovered water is returned once again to the cascade Plant operation is fully automated and managed using a SCADA system.
Pollution Concerns
Some concerns have been expressed principally by the environmental group, Exnora that a lack of regulation of industrial effluents into the plant's source water, Chembarambakkam lake, could see levels of persistent organic effluents rise If so, this would inevitably threaten the quality of the treated water supplied to the city However, a joint study recently conducted by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board and the Public Works Department (CMWSSB) suggests that these worries are without foundation With the plant recently entering service, the following months seem likely to see this issue resolved, one way or the other.
 Photo by : chidsiva in webshots |
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 Photo by : shubhro in panaromia |
 Photo by : advaitin in panaromia |
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 Photo by : praccyy in panaromia |
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