Coimbatore Water Supply Project: Progress and Benefits

Reliable drinking water supply is essential to a city's everyday life, yet many Coimbatore residents have long depended on unpredictable municipal water schedules. The Coimbatore 24x7 Water Supply Project, now 95% complete, is set to change this through a continuous piped water network. The Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) expects to finish the remaining work by December 2026, bringing the city closer to round-the-clock water access.

What Is the 24x7 Water Supply Project and Why Was It Introduced?

The Coimbatore 24x7 Water Supply Project is a major urban infrastructure initiative designed to deliver drinking water directly to household taps throughout the day, with consistent pipeline pressure. Implemented by Suez India Private Limited at a cost of ₹646.71 crore, it covers 58 wards across 105.6 square kilometres.

The project was introduced to address the limitations of intermittent water distribution, where households received water only during scheduled hours or at intervals of several days. Its broader objective is to improve water security, reduce distribution losses, minimise contamination risks and make municipal water supply more reliable.

Existing Water Supply Problems and Who Is Affected

Before the upgrade, residents faced several difficulties due to irregular distribution and ageing pipelines.

• Unpredictable supply: Water availability could fall to once every 10 to 14 days during droughts or shortages, forcing households to plan their daily activities around supply schedules.
• Contamination risks: When pipelines emptied between supply cycles, reduced pressure increased the possibility of sewage, dirt and other pollutants entering through damaged sections.
• Water wastage: Ageing pipelines experienced frequent bursts and underground leakages, resulting in significant losses of treated water.
• Additional household expenses: Residents had to depend on underground sumps, overhead tanks, booster pumps and private water tankers to manage shortages.

These difficulties particularly affected residents in the 58 core wards. Low-income families faced greater hardships, often spending hours collecting water from public taps and municipal tankers, while women frequently carried the responsibility of managing household water collection and storage.

Benefits of the Upgrade and Its Key Beneficiaries

The transition to continuous water distribution is expected to bring improvements to households and the city's water management system.

• Improved water quality and accessibility: Maintaining water within pressurised pipelines reduces the chances of external contamination. Residents can also access water without depending on fixed supply schedules.
• Reduced water wastage: The project has reportedly identified and repaired more than 22,000 leaks, saving approximately 194 million litres of water.
• Lower household expenses: Reliable municipal supply can reduce dependence on private tankers, electric booster pumps and extensive water storage arrangements.
• Better water management: GIS mapping and automated monitoring systems will help the corporation track distribution, identify leakages and improve billing efficiency.

The biggest beneficiaries will be low and middle-income households, which stand to gain from more dependable water access and lower backup expenses. Women will also benefit from reduced time spent monitoring supply timings and collecting water. The CCMC, meanwhile, gains better control over distribution, leakage management and municipal water resources.

Project Progress and Expected Completion

The project has moved into its final implementation stage, with 95% of the work completed as of November 2026. More than 1.6 lakh household service connections have been provided, exceeding the original target of 1.5 lakh, and water meters have been installed for eligible connections.

The infrastructure includes 33 newly constructed overhead tanks alongside 34 existing tanks, 73.64 km of trunk mains and a 1,747 km distribution network.

Only around one kilometre of pipeline installation remains along Avinashi Road. Meanwhile, road restoration work is underway across corporation roads, state highways and national highways to repair damage caused during pipeline installation.

A Step Towards More Reliable Urban Water Supply

The Coimbatore 24x7 Water Supply Project represents a shift towards continuous municipal water distribution, addressing long-standing household and infrastructure challenges. With most connections and network installations already completed, the CCMC is targeting December 2026 for the completion of the remaining works.

FAQs

1. What is the Coimbatore 24x7 Water Supply Project?
The Coimbatore 24x7 Water Supply Project is an urban infrastructure initiative designed to provide uninterrupted drinking water directly to household taps. Implemented by Suez India Private Limited for ₹646.71 crore, it covers 58 wards across 105.6 square kilometres, aiming to improve water accessibility and distribution efficiency.

2. Why was the 24x7 water supply project introduced in Coimbatore?
The project was introduced to address irregular water distribution, pipeline leakages and contamination risks associated with intermittent supply. By maintaining continuous water flow and pressure, the Coimbatore project aims to improve water security, reduce wastage and provide households with more reliable access to drinking water.

3. How many households will benefit from the Coimbatore 24x7 water supply project?
The project initially targeted 1.5 lakh household service connections across 58 wards. However, more than 1.6 lakh connections have already been provided, exceeding the original target. Water meters have also been installed for eligible connections to support better monitoring and management.

4. What infrastructure has been developed under the Coimbatore water supply project?
The project includes 33 newly constructed overhead tanks alongside 34 existing tanks, 73.64 km of trunk mains and a 1,747 km distribution network. These facilities are designed to support continuous water distribution across the project's 105.6-square-kilometre coverage area.

5. What are the major benefits of the Coimbatore 24x7 water supply project?
The project is expected to reduce contamination risks, minimise water wastage and lower household dependence on private tankers, storage tanks and booster pumps. It has also reportedly helped identify and repair over 22,000 leaks, saving approximately 194 million litres of water.

6. When will the Coimbatore 24x7 Water Supply Project be completed?
The Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation has targeted December 2026 for completion. As of November 2026, approximately 95% of the work was finished, with pipeline installation along a remaining one-kilometre stretch of Avinashi Road and road restoration work still underway.