Tiruchi Mayor orders cleaning of overhead water tanks in city every 15 days

With public complaints of drinking water contamination and supply of discoloured water being aired in some parts of the city in recent days, Mayor M. Anbazhagan on Tuesday directed the officials to clean all overhead tanks (OHTs) and their valve pits once every fortnight

With complaints of drinking water contamination and supply of discoloured water being aired in some parts of the city in recent days, Mayor M. Anbazhagan on Tuesday directed the officials to clean all overhead tanks (OHTs) and their valve pits once every fortnight.

Mr. Anbazhagan instructed the officials to monitor the quality of drinking water supplied at the ward level on a daily basis. In places where underground drainage scheme work was under way, the drinking water distribution lines should be inspected by officials every day. In case of complaints of water contamination from the public, officials should inspect the areas concerned immediately to rectify the problem.

The Mayor gave instructions after visiting the aerator near the Ayyalamman bathing ghat where drinking water supplied from the Kollidam to parts of the city is treated to reduce the iron content. He checked the overhead tank at Anna Nagar in Thennur. He was accompanied by the Corporation Executive Engineer K.S. Balasubramanian and other engineers.

This comes in the wake of complaints of water contamination in parts of the city, including Thennur, Anna Nagar, Puthur, and Srirangam.

“Steps are being taken to prevent contamination of water. All overhead tanks and valve pits will be cleaned regularly,” Mr. Anbazhagan told The Hindu. During his visit to the aerator, he had advised the officials to clean the system thoroughly and ensure its proper functioning.

Established at a cost of ₹5 crore, the multiple-tray aerator was commissioned last year after residents protested against the discolouration due to high iron content in the drinking water being supplied from the third collector well on the Kollidam riverbed. The aerator would bring down the iron content in the drinking water to the permissible level of less than 0.3 milligram per litre, officials had said then.