Fri Dec 26 23:00:00 UTC 2025: News Article:
Chennai Tackles Water Loss with City-Wide Metering Project
CHENNAI – December 27, 2025 – Chennai Metrowater is undertaking a major project to combat non-revenue water and improve water management throughout the city. By March 2026, the agency aims to complete the installation of 518 IoT-enabled electromagnetic flow meters across its treatment and distribution facilities.
Currently, water quantity is largely estimated through pumping operations. This initiative, costing ₹44.93 crore, will allow for precise identification of water losses, real-time tracking of water consumption, and monitoring of water drawal and distribution. It covers flow measurement across the treatment and distribution network and almost 277 flow meters have been fixed.
The move comes as Chennai Metrowater seeks to strengthen source availability and supply management, while also focusing on demand-side management and conservation. The agency estimates that 20-30% of the city’s water supply is lost as non-revenue water.
The project includes installing bulk water meters in 33 distribution lines at Kilpauk Water Works, Chennai’s first water treatment plant. Data will be transmitted to a central dashboard, with engineers receiving automated alerts. This will enable faster detection of supply drops, curb unauthorized connections, and identify leaks.
“We will be able to detect drops in supply, curb unauthorized connections and identify leaks through variations in flow. It will help us to regulate water supply according to the need in various localities and ensure equitable distribution,” an official said.
With Chennai currently supplying around 1,226 million liters of water daily, the improved monitoring system promises to significantly enhance the efficiency and equity of water distribution throughout the city.
First Piper 