THE WATER THAT COMES OUT OF YOUR TAP -- DO YOU KNOW WHERE IT COMES FROM ?

Water water everywhere, but is there enough to drink..?

Visakhapatnam has come a long way since 1891 when the population did not exceed 38,000. With the steep rise in the population and with the coupling of urbanization with industrialization, treated drinking water supplied for human consumption, works out to 192 gallons per day as against the 400 gallons per day as per the norms of the World Health Organisation.
The city is divided into 50 wards covering 71 localities. There are 19 minor catchments within the corporation area and the important minor watersheds in the immediate environs are the Hanumanthavaka, Meghadrigedda and Narvagedda. The principal source of water supply to Visakhapatnam are the reservoirs built across the stream courses in water shed areas and from the Tatipudi reservoir built across the Gostani river, located 70 kms from the city.

Mudasarlova water supply system

This is the first protected water supply scheme to the city and was constructed in 1902.
The present yield from this source is 4.00 lakh gallons per day.

Mudasarlova Reservoir

Gambheeramgedda Water Supply Scheme

This is a supplemental seasonal scheme from March to June executed in the year 1957. The yield from this source is 18.00 lakh gallons per day.

Gostani Water Supply Scheme

This source was originally developed by the Ministry of Defence and the Visakhapatnam Municipality has taken over it during the year 1942. Subsequently improvements were carried out to this source and the yield was improved to 40.00 lakh gallons per day.

Tadipudi Reservoir Scheme :

Tatipudi Reservoir

This source was commissioned in 1967. At present the yield from this source is 100.00 lakh gallons per day. The system consists of a storage reservoir of 3500 mc.ft. capacity, which is intended both for irrigation and water supply needs.

Meghadrigedda Reservoir Scheme :

This source was commissioned in the year 1979. The withdrawal was increased to 100.00 lakh gallons per day during 1989. The system consists of a storage reservoir of 1000 mc.ft.

Meghadrigedda Reservoir

Visakhapatnam water supply improvement scheme – with Raiwada and Yeleru canals as source

This scheme was commissioned in the year 1995. The water supply improvement scheme to Visakhapatnam with Raiwada and Yeleru canals as the source provides 150 lakh gallons per day to the city.

Distribution System

The city water supply is essentially stored in the three service reservoirs – Town Service Reservoir, Dwarakanagar; High Level Service Reservoir, T.B. Road, Uplands and Circuit House Reservoir, Waltair Uplands. The city is divided into fourteen blocks according to contours and each block is served by separate reservoirs. There are 35 reservoirs serving the different segments of the system. Domestic water supply is mainly through public taps and house service connections. In addition to that there are about 2072 bore wells.

The above is a brief picture of the water system in our city, the reservoirs, catchment areas and the basic distribution system. Keeping in mind the shortage we have, it is to our advantage that we are aware of the problem and try to conserve as much water as possible.