Residents of Chennai’s Adyar zone will receive 24x7 piped water supply by the end of 2025 under a pilot project initiated by Chennai Metrowater.

The water agency plans to appoint a concessionaire to implement the continuous drinking water supply system, raising the current intermittent supply of 35 million litres per day (MLD) to 50 MLD. Wards 169, 170, 173, 174, and 178 to 180 will be covered, with smart water meters to ensure usage-based billing. The pilot is based on Water Corporation of Odisha (WATCO) model and follows a 2023 MoU signed with Metrowater to replicate the system in Chennai’s Adyar and Kodambakkam zones.

The initiative will serve about 64,000 households across Adyar, Kotturpuram, Besant Nagar, Guindy, Ekkaduthangal, and Taramani through a 377 km pipeline network. Unlike Puri’s “Drink from Tap Mission,” the Chennai project aims for continuous but not necessarily potable tap water. The hybrid annuity model (HAM) will guide implementation, with the concessionaire responsible for operations and maintenance for 15 years.

IoT technology will be deployed to monitor supply, reduce losses, and divide the network into district metered areas for equitable distribution. A similar initiative is already underway in Valasaravakkam.