ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the nature of surface water and groundwater resources in and around the Madras Metropolitan Area regarding quantity, quality, and projected demand. The groundwater potential in and around Madras city has been identified with the help of United Nations Development Programme experts in three different phases: during 1966–1969, 1976–1978, and 1982–1985. In 1964, a United Nations mission visited Madras to investigate the feasibility of seawater conversion to supplement the water supply to Madras city. Four rivers—Araniar, Koratalaiyar, Cooum, and Adayar—and the appurtenant reservoirs and tanks constitute the surface water resources for the Madras Metropolitan Area. The pH, electrical conductivity, and ionic concentrations of the near-surface water vary significantly with place and time. High concentrations of major ions near the Koratalaiyar River may be from recharge of saline backwater. A physical count was conducted in 1979 to assess water use for various institutions and for different types of nondomestic buildings.
