Metro water warns against illegal pumps

CHENNAI: Metro Water on Saturday warned consumers against pumping water directly from the department’s main lines using electric pumps saying it leading to shortage in some areas.Metro Water managing director Dr K Gopal said direct suction of water from main lines using electric pump is illegal. Service connections of customers resorting to such practice will be disconnected and they face penalty ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000, he added.He said pumping of water directly from the main lines affects supply to the other customers due to pressure disturbance. The warning comes in the wake of complaints of non-availability of water in several areas.Gopal admitted that Metro Water is unable to supply water to underground sumps of customers in certain “tail-end pockets” due to lack of adequate pressure.