At least 78,000 household connections have been provided so far under the 24x7 drinking water supply scheme. And more than 51,000 households have started receiving round the clock water supply.
Meanwhile, the city corporation is set to extend its 24x7 water supply scheme to the residential localities and households left out in the project area of 60 wards.
The move would benefit the new residential layouts developed since the project's launch in 2018, as well as the houses built in the project areas over the past few years. A detailed project report would be prepared for the additional work, which is estimated to cost Rs300 crore.
Corporation commissioner M Sivaguru Prabhakaran said 85% work on the ongoing project had been completed. While the project envisages round the clock water supply connections to 1,50,000 households by July 2025, so far only 78,372 households are connected to the system. Of this, 51,250 households have started receiving round the clock water supply, while another 27,122 households have been receiving intermittent supply. Work on another 36,135 connections has been completed, but not yet activated. Work on the remaining 35,493 connections is pending.
The project, executed by SUEZ, has divided the wards into 97 district metered areas (DMAs) for better management. "We have fully commissioned 33 DMAs for the 24x7 water supply, and another 19 DMAs are operating on an intermittent supply basis,'' said an officer.
The residents who received connections expressed mixed responses about the water supply scheme. Nithya Vignesh, a resident of Vaigai Street at Kamadhenu Nagar, said the project had improved daily life. "Earlier, drinking water was supplied just three times a month for limited hours, requiring someone to be at home. Now that water is available 24x7, we don't have to worry about timing," she said.
A resident of Kannapanagar said while he received the connection a year ago, water was being supplied only once a week. "On the designated day, water is available for 24 hours. But there is no supply for rest of the days of the week.'' A recurring issue in areas with intermittent supply is the lack of communication about the water supply schedules, leaving residents uncertain about timings and availability.
G Rajeshwari, a hostel warden from Sivananda Colony, noted the steep increase in tariff. "Earlier, we paid around Rs2,000 every two months, but now the bill has doubled to Rs4,000–Rs5,000. The firm records meter readings but doesn't inform us of the due amount or payment deadline. We must check and pay ourselves," she said.
The residents of Cheran Maa Nagar said while the meters and pipes had been installed, water was yet to be supplied. They continue to rely on communal pipes.
The corporation commissioner acknowledged these concerns and attributed them to the project's incomplete status. "Different areas are at varying stages of progress. In some places, meters are installed, but water isn't supplied due to incomplete storage tanks or linking pipes. Once the project is complete, all the problems will end," he explained.