It is the biggest of the two important rain-fed reservoirs, the other one being the Puzhal Lake, that supply drinking water to Chennai city .

A part of drinking water supply to Chennai metropolis is drawn from this lake.

It is one of the 24 kottams (villages) that existed even during the later Chola period in Thondai Mandalam which had Kanchipuram as its headquarters.

The existing pipeline on Poonamallee Bypass Road has the capacity to convey only half of the 530 million litres that can be treated at the plant.

In 2012, Chennai Metrowater started evaluating the feasibility of laying a third pipeline with a diameter of about 2,000 mm from the Chembarambakkam water treatment plant at a cost of ₹ 650 million, which will run parallel to the existing one for over 6.5 km.