The Capital Development Authority (CDA) will set up a treatment plant and a reservoir at two different points for the planned 60-km water pipeline from Ghazi Barotha barrage to Islamabad, a CDA official said on Thursday.
He said the consultant hired for preparing the feasibility of the water pipeline had proposed that Authority should build a treatment plant 5 km from the barrage.
Construction of a 100 million gallon capacity reservoir at a point 13 kilometers from the barrage has also been recommended by the consultant. Water will be pumped to the reservoir as it will be at a higher level from the barrage.
The official said construction of one-km tunnel in the hilly area for the pipeline was also under consideration.
He said experts hired by CDA had started a seismic survey to evaluate the quake risk for the proposed tunnel.
The pipeline is to be laid from the barrage point to Shah Allah Dita area of Islamabad where an existing water reservoir would be expanded to store water from Gazi Barotha. The official said the proposed pipeline would enable CDA to meet the growing water requirements of the capital.
Work on the project is expected to start this year and will be completed in three years.
The official said the pipeline would provide 120 million gallons water per day (MGD) enhancing the total water supply to the capital city to 220 MGD from the present 85 MGD.
He said the capital's total water requirements by 2015 would be 200 MGD. The Authority also plans to increase storage capacity of Simly Dam in Islamabad from 2,305 square feet to 2,317 square feet. The total share of water for Islamabad from Khanpur Water Supply Project is 15 MGD.
The water resources for the capital city include Simly Dam, Khanpur Dam, tubewells and minor headworks.