from the shore at a depth of 9 m. A stainless steel screen sits atop the well. The sea water intake pipeline enters the well at the bottom. The HDPE pipeline is 1,600 mm in diameter. It was welded using butt fusion welding machines on the shore before being floated out to the sea and being sunk along the required alignment. The pipeline empties the water into a sea water intake sump on the shore where 3 vertical turbine pumps of variable discharge up to a maximum of 4,000 cum/hr each are used to pump water into the plant. The average intake flow is 9,000 to 10,000 cum/hr, and the average product water output of the plant is about 4,000 cum/hr. The system is designed to work as a self-priming suction for sea water intake. The plant also has 5 additional intake lines of 560 mm OD as a stand-by intake system. These pipelines have a separate pump house where centrifugal pumps of discharge up to a maximum of 1,500 cum/hr each have been installed. The marine works subcontract (involving laying of the intake pipelines, intake structures and outfall pipeline) was executed by Flowline Systems Pvt Ltd. Cost Chennai Metrowater purchases water from the plant for 48.66 per kilolitre of water in accordance with the bulk water purchase agreement with Chennai Water Desalination Limited, a special purpose vehicle promoted by IVRCL. The tariff is high compared to the plant at Nemmeli since the company that has set up the plant also has to add in capital and operations costs. As of 2019, the plant caters to 1 million residents in North Chennai. See also Nemmeli Seawater Desalination Plant Reverse osmosis plant Water management in Chennai References Desalination plants in India Companies based in Chennai 2010 establishments in Tamil Nadu Indian companies established in 2010