Ensia - Rescuing a city of 3.8 million from a water crisis

Twenty-five years ago, Chennai, a city on the southeastern coast of India, could barely supply enough water to its 3.8 million citizens. Many of its families depended on water drawn into plastic pots from public stand pipes and pumps. There was not enough water to go around, and municipal supply was unpredictable, with the taps running only intermittently.

Today the population of Chennai has more than doubled. And
yet, most of Chennai’s citizens have forgotten the days of surviving on less than 40 liters (8 gallons) of water a day.