Hyderabad: Using a floating pump to pump water on Himayatsagar

The Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) has installed a pontoon with pumps on the Himayatsagar surface to collect water for the first time in the state.

There are two 150 HP motor pumps that are mounted to the pontoon and linked to water pipes. This arrangement, which is now undergoing trial runs, will assist the Water Board in extracting an extra seven million gallons per day (MGD) beginning the next week.

Cranes were used to raise the pontoon onto the Himayatsagar surface. The idea is to extract water from the top surface of the reservoir down to less than one meter, rather than from the bottom sluice at 1,730 feet. According to the Water Board, this will aid in obtaining better water quality with fewer odors and bad smells as well as enhanced aeration with dissolved oxygen.

Residents of Himayatsagar have previously complained about the water’s discolouration and stench. This was ascribed to insufficient aeration during extraction from the reservoir’s lowest levels. Setting up the pontoon and constructing the pipeline would cost ~60 lakh, according to the Water Board’s summer contingency plan.

The regions within the Outer Ring Road (ORR) boundaries as well as neighboring municipalities will benefit from the seven MGD increase in water supply. At present, the reservoir’s full capacity is 2.967 tmcft, of which around 2.120 tmcft is accessible. The level is roughly 1,758.500 feet (FTL is 1,765.5 ft). With the new pumping system, the Water Board’s current daily extraction from the Himayatsagar will increase to 25–26 million liters (MLD).