DH News Service, Bangalore: The City will get drinking water on a daily basis from 2011, when work on the second phase of the Cauvery Water Supply Scheme Stage IV is complete, said Katta Subramanya Naidu, Minister for BWSSB, Excise, IT-BT and Information Department. Briefing the media after collecting first-hand knowledge of the ongoing first phase of the scheme and the water treatment plant at Thorekadanahalli in Mandya district, Naidu said that when it is commissioned, the Rs 3,383.70-crore scheme will provide 500 Million Litres Per Day (MLD). "When combined with the existing 810 MLD supplied presently, this would total up to 1310 Million Litres Per Day. Potable water would also be generated from the Challaghatta and Vrushabhavati valleys by that period. These would suffice to meet all the water requirements of the City, and drinking water could be supplied on a daily basis.' This scheme is being implemented with financial assistance from the Japan Bank for International Co-operation. "Work will begin by December 2008. The technical bid has been completed presently, and the financial bid is ongoing now,' the minister said. Discussions will be initiated with the BDA, BBMP, Urban Development and Revenue departments to ensure that lakes do not go into private hands. Lakes that have been privatised will be restored to the State, Naidu said. A sum of Rs 574 crore will be spent to replace old pipelines and machinery presently utilised in the project's I, II and III phases, he said. "A sum of Rs 150 crore will be spent on phase I and II while Rs 274 crore will be spent for the third phase,' Naidu said. Many borewells had been shut down in the old CMC areas due to power problems. This was due to the non-payment of electricity bills to BESCOM. "We will clear all the bills and ensure the borewells start functioning,' Naidu said. To ensure better quality of water, chlorinator units will also be provided to all borewells, the minister added. All new layouts approved by Bangalore Development Authority must compulsorily have dual pipeline system to deliver potable and non-potable water, he said. The minister also instructed top BWSSB officials to give "first priority to the staff already employed on contract basis, in the plant's premises.' This follows a written application submitted by them asking for preference in the 655 posts, for which BWSSB had advertised recently. BWSSB chairperson G Latha Krishna Rao and Chief Engineer (Maintenance) T Venkataraju accompanied the minister on his rounds.