Hidden in the midst of the sprawling campus of Kilpauk Water Works on New Avadi Road is a nearly 150-year-old shaft that stands as a testimony to the evolution of Chennai’s water supply system over the years.
The bowl-like masonry structure, recently refurbished, is one of the first systems ever used to store water from the Red Hills reservoir and supply to the city as far back as in 1872.
Once it was filled to the brim, water would branch off through vents on either side and then be transported to George Town and central Chennai through iron pipes.
Chennai got its water like this till 1914, when a scientifically-designed distribution system was launched by the then special engineer to the Corporation of Madras, J.W. Madeley. This system is still in use. Wednesday marks the centenary of the supply of treated water to the city.
A visit to Kilpauk Water Works, the city’s first water treatment plant that is now being spruced up, reveals that a number of structures established then are still in operation. A plaque at the entrance of the crimson red building proclaims the heritage status of the campus. It was inaugurated by the then Governor of Madras, H.E. Lord Penland.
In one corner of the office, there are large sheets of plans of the pump house and various structures built in 1936, and they are still referred to by Metrowater’s engineers.
Metrowater officials who maintain the plant point out that a 100-year-old pipeline still transports treated water to various parts of the city. “Several pipelines laid then are used to pump water to areas as far as Triplicane and George Town even today,” the official says.
A large part of the distribution network — from the conduit lines that bring water from the Red Hills reservoir to high tension pumps that distribute treated water — dates to the early 30s.
Remnants of the old treatment and pumping system, be they sand filter structures or rooms that housed boilers that fed steam engines, are still preserved. A tall chimney is yet another prestigious monument at the facility which treats 270 million litres of water a day.
Several buildings, a new storage tank and a compound wall have come up during the course of years. But they have been constructed to resemble the heritage buildings, adding more charm to the magnificent campus.
