• Long-term Planning, Design & Implementation & Monitoring of various Water Supply Schemes according to Master Plan.
• Implementation of various water supply projects like- augmentation of new sources of water, development of new water works/ water distribution stations, increasing capacity of existing water treatment plants/ Intake wells/ underground tanks, Construction of overhead tanks, design, procurement & laying of transmission pipelines and distribution pipelines, procurement & installation of valves etc. is carried out by floating public tenders & appointing capable contractors as approved by the competent sanctioning authority of Surat Municipal Corporation.
• Issue of new licenses & renewal of existing licenses for plumbers.
• Providing water tankers in the deficient area and where any complaints are received about quality/quantity of water supplied through pipeline.
• Maintenance of all the water works, water treatment plants water distribution stations, valves, transmission pipelines and distribution pipelines is done either departmentally or by appointing private participants.

• Extracting surface/sub-surface water from sources - like River Intake wells, Jack wells, Infiltration wells and bore wells.
• Treatment of raw water by Pre-Chlorination, Primary treatment and Filtration upto the standards of safe drinking water.
• Quality Control and Laboratory testing at treatment stage.
• Transmission of treated water from Water Works to Water Distribution Stations, located in different parts of the city via Transmission pipelines
• Post-Chlorination & Distribution of treated water to the consumers from different Water Distribution Stations via distribution pipelines, during supply hours.
• Day to day collection of water samples from different water points of water distribution system, laboratory testing (chemical analysis and bacteriological testing) of the collected samples and feed back of results to the Hydraulic Department - Remedial measures taken, if required.

• Surat is situated at the tail end of the 750 km. long River Tapi which has been the main source of water for the city since centuries.
• During the period of British-raj in India, Surat municipality was established by the then Collector, Mr. Rogers on 23rd April, 1852 but there was no provision of public water supply at that time.
• During year 1864, Sir Kawasji Jahangir of Surat had donated Rs.1.25 Lacs to construct a water works for the city. In 1867, Mr. Gragery prepared a plan to draw water from river Tapi near Kamrej and bring the same up to Delhi Gate by a pipeline. In 1876, it was planned to bring water to Gopi Talav with the help of wind energy, though the plan did not materialize.
• In 1894, Fardunji Taraporewala was appointed as an Executive Engineer in Surat by the British Government, who planned to build Infiltration wells in the river. In the same year, work for first water supply pipeline was started near Surat railway station by Mr.George Harrison, then Governor of Mumbai.
• In 1898, Varachha Water Works was inaugurated at the cost of Rs.9.89 Lacs. It was then known as Lely Water Works in the name of Mr.Lely, then Collector of Surat. Water from this water works was also provided to Rander municipal area as one tenth of the total expenditure of water works was shared by them. Sheth Haji Yusuf of Rander had donated the contribution of Rander.
• In the year 1931, chlorination was used in Surat city water supply for the first time. In the year 1950, new Engine House & new overhead tank were started. In the year 1952, city's first surface water treatment plant was commissioned at Varachha.

  

By 2001, the population of Surat city has reached 24 lakh and water treatement facility for 440 MLD was available, thus assuring availability at the rate of 150 lpcd. This had been achieved by the following major works taken up between 1984 and 2000.

• In year 1984, 20 new tube wells were constructed at Varachha & Sarthana to increase the water supply capacity.
• In the year 1985, Radial collecting wells (2 Nos) were constructed at Sarthana and water distribution stations were constructed at Khatodara, Umarwada & Katargam.
• In the year 1995, gross average daily water supply was 180 MLD to a population of about 18 Lacs resulting in an acute shortage of water supply. Moreover, high tides of river were affecting the quality of surface water also up to Sarthana & thereby resulting in salty water.
• A weir-cum-causeway was constructed across river Tapi in the year 1995 at Rander-Singanpore at a total project cost of Rs.35 Crores. The project was implemented as a public-private partnership with Hazira area industries. Due to the construction of weir, a reservoir of about 31000 TCM (Thousand Cubic Meter) capacity became available for drawing surface water.
• After construction of the weir across river Tapi, new water works for the city was commissioned at Katargam in the year 1997, at a total project cost of about Rs.25 Crores.
• As a part of the long-term master plan for the water supply scheme of Surat city, 120 MLD capacity water treatment plant was commissioned in the year 1997 and was increased to total 240 MLD in 1999. Raw water at this water treatment plant was fed by the intake well constructed in the river Tapi.
• Surat Municipal Corporation had prepared a long-term Water Supply Master Plan in the year 1995 to fulfill the water demand for the projected population for the year 2021 in consultation with Tata Consulting Engineers, Mumbai.

Between 2001 and 2006, various works were taken up to increase the water treatement and distribution capacity in Surat. The water supply rose by 20% from 440MLD in 2000-01 to 550 MLD in 2004-05.

• 240 MLD capacity raw water Intake Well & 120 MLD capacity Water Treatment Plant were commissioned at Sarthana Water Works in the year 2001 at the total project cost of about Rs. 30 Crores. It increased the capacity for accessing the available surface water reservoir.
• In January 2003, 200 MLD capacity Water Treatment Plant & 360 MLD capacity raw water Intake Well were commissioned at Rander Water Works at total project cost of about Rs.35 Crores.
• Capital expenditure of total Rs.178.22 Crore was made during this period to implement various water supply projects comprising of water treatment plant, Intake well, Underground Storage reservoir (UGSR), Elevated Service Reservoir (ESR) and laying of pipelines.

Increase in Capacity : Year 2001- 2006

Sr. No.	Water Supply Project	Year 2001	Year 2006
1	Intake Well (in MLD)	480	840
2	Water Treatment Plants (in MLD)	428	628
3	UGSR Capacity (in  Lac lit)	3822	4450
4	ESR Capacity (in  Lac lit)	103	150
5	Pipeline (in km)	1850	2250

• In the year 2006, city limit was extended from 112.27 sq.km. to 326.51 sq.km. area, merging 27 Grampanchayats & 8 Nagarpalikas into city. Due to the revised area & population scenario, preparation of Master Plan had to be revised.
• By fast-tracking the implementation of projects , SMC has achieved a 30% increase in water supply from 580 in 2006 to 750 in 2010.
• Under JnNURM water supply projects worth Rs.509 Crores have been sanctioned till 2009. Water Supply projects worth Rs.74 Crores have been sanctioned by State Government under Savarnim Jayanti Mukhyamantri Shaheri Vikas Yojna ((SJMMSVY) for newly merged eastern area of city. Capital expenditure of total Rs.345.73 Crore was made during this period to implement various water supply projects comprising of water treatment plant, Intake well, Underground Storage reservoir (UGSR), Elevated Service Reservoir (ESR) and laying of pipelines.
• In March 2007, 200 MLD capacity fully automatic water treatment plant with SCADA was commissioned at Sarthana Water Works at a total project cost of Rs.24.22 Crores.
• In February 2009, two fully automatic water treatment plants with SCADA of 150 MLD capacity each were commissioned at Katargam & Sarthana Water Works at a total project cost of Rs.50.20 Crores under JnNURM scheme.
• In January 2011, 50 MLD water treatment plant was commissined at Rander water works under JnNURM at a project cost of Rs.760 Lacs.
• SMC is now poised to achieve the goal of 100% coverage of extended area & population through ongoing projects for increasing water treatment capacity from 1178 MLD to 1378 MLD and storage capacity from 6502 lac litres to 7419 lac litres by 2012.

Increase in Capacity Year 2006-2010 & Projected Increase by 2012

Sr. No.	Water Supply Project	Year 2006	Year 2010	Year 2012
1	Intake Well (in MLD)	840	1463*	2033
2	Water Treatment Plants (in MLD)	628	1178	1378
3	UGSR Capacity (in  Lac lit)	4450	6300	6747
4	ESR Capacity (in  Lac lit)	150	202.5	672
5	Pipeline (in km)	2250	2550	3230

* includes Intake well of 263 MLD at Katargam & 360 MLD at Sarthana