Chennai: Residents of Sri Ayyappa Nagar in Virugambakkam have complained of recurring black silt deposits in their household water tanks. The water supplied to their homes has developed a different taste, and their tanks often show a thick layer of black sediment. They said the silt returns within days of cleaning the tanks, raising concerns about water quality and health risks.The problem has persisted despite repeated cleaning and complaints to Metrowater. “In the last two months, I have cleaned my tank twice. Within 10 days of cleaning, there is again a thick deposit of black silt,” said K Inbarajan, a resident of Sri Ayyappa Nagar 2nd Main Road.Several residents have replaced multiple water filters over the weeks, but the sediment keeps accumulating, he said. The silt mixing with the water has led to panic among residents over possible health implications. “I have contacted Metrowater officials several times and sent them emails, but the issue has not been fixed,” he said.Residents said they suspected that silt is entering the water supply lines after recent civic work in the area. They urged Metrowater to identify the source of the contamination and inspect and flush the affected pipelines to prevent further deposits from entering household water tanks.When contacted, a Metrowater zonal official said incidental damage to pipelines caused by external agencies, including Chennai Metro Rail Ltd (CMRL) and Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), led to the issue. “We found that an internal chamber was damaged during stormwater drain work. It will be rectified,” an official said. Metrowater officials inspected the area on Thursday evening, checked the total dissolved solids (TDS) levels in the water, and took measures to address the issue.
