Piped water stays short in five south and central Chennai zones until 6 am on Sunday, 15 November, while the Veeranam pipeline is realigned near Vadalur.
The cut runs for four days, Wednesday to Sunday morning.
Metrowater said piped supply would be hit from 6 am on Wednesday, 11 November, to 6 am on 15 November in the Teynampet, Kodambakkam, Valasaravakkam, Alandur and Adyar zones. Nandanam, Mylapore and wards 122 to 126 of Teynampet zone get reduced supply. The reason lies in Cuddalore district. The National Highways Authority of India is widening a road at Maruvai village near Vadalur in Cuddalore district, and the main drinking water pipeline from Veeranam Lake (வீராணம் ஏரி) to Chennai has to be moved out of its way, which means shutting down treatment on that line until the work is done.
Tankers can be booked online
The board has asked residents in the affected areas to store enough drinking water. Emergency tankers can be booked through the Dial for Water service on the board’s website, cmwssb.tn.gov.in, for households that run short before Sunday morning.
Tanker water for public street taps and storage tanks, in areas without piped connections and in low-pressure pockets, will run as usual, the board said.
For Context
The Veeranam pipeline was commissioned in 2004 to bring 180 million litres a day (MLD) to Chennai, according to Metrowater. Raw water from the lake, which holds 1,465 million cubic feet and is fed by the Cauvery system through the Kollidam, Lower Anicut and Vadavar canal, is pumped about 20 km from Sethiathope to the Vadakuthu treatment plant. From there, treated water is pumped about 8 km to a break pressure tank at Kadampuliyur and then flows by gravity for about 200 km to the Porur water distribution station.
The Vadakuthu plant’s 180 MLD is one part of a citywide treatment capacity of 1,494 MLD, a figure that also counts the Kilpauk, Puzhal and Chembarambakkam plants.
Put another way, Veeranam is about one litre in every eight that the city’s plants can treat. The board serves a population of 74.38 lakh through 15 area offices and 200 depot offices.
Checked against official sources on 12 November 2026.
Sources
- Statement of the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board on reduced water supply from 11 to 15 November 2026
- Water supply system: Veeranam scheme and treatment plants, Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board
- Metrowater operational area, Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board
