The Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) plans to take up door-to-door inspection of rainwater harvesting structure (RWH) across the city as part of its efforts to enhance groundwater recharge potential.
The team will check water quality in the buildings during inspection. This will help assess the quality of water used at the household — be it from open well, borewell or board’s water connection.
Regular campaign
Every year, the board organises awareness campaign and conducts random checks of rainwater harvesting structures in domestic and commercial buildings. But this year, it plans to check all buildings across the city.
There are nearly 13 lakh buildings in Chennai.
Sources in the water board said volunteers and non-governmental organisations would be roped in for the exercise.
The condition of the rainwater harvesting structures would be checked to ensure maximum recharge of groundwater. For instance, some commercial buildings with vast space may need more RWH structures. But they may have put in place only one rainwater harvesting system.
The exercise aims at recharging the water table and reducing flooding during the rainy season. Besides enumeration of RWH structures, the teams, equipped with test kits, would check water samples for three basic parameters, including the level of total dissolved solids.
Samples of drinking water supplied by the board would be tested for residual chlorine level. This would help detect contamination and assess the quality of water supplied.
Option for residents
Residents may check groundwater samples for additional parameters and results would be shared in a few days, sources said.
Plans are afoot to set up a minimum of two mobile help desks near the streets during the inspection to receive complaints from residents. Consumers of the particular division would be informed through various means, including residents’ welfare associations.
