Replacement of leaky pipes in western areas of Kochi to get priority

Leaky, damaged pipelines of western Kochi shall be replaced on priority basis, according to an initial assessment by the French company SUEZ.

The survey carried out by SUEZ, which took over the operation and maintenance of the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) pipeline network in the Corporation, suggested priority replacement due to contamination concerns.

Several of these pipelines run near canals, making them vulnerable to contamination, which in turn affects the drinking water supply, a SUEZ offical said on the initial survey.

Western Kochi and Kaloor regions will be given priority for the pipe replacement, he added. “A significant portion of the pipelines run close to canals. These pipes are old, and the condition of the pipes is very bad. They are worn out, and the joints are loosened because of old age. Since the water supply is intermittent and, when the water pressure is zero, water tends to enter the pipe from outside, contaminating the supply. This will be addressed at the earliest,” he said.

The ₹1,141.28-crore project is being funded by the Asian Development Bank. The firm had earlier completed topographical and walkthrough surveys of the KWA pipeline network in the Corporation.

As per the contract, the firm will be replacing 750 km of pipeline network. The pipeline network will be designed based on the findings of these surveys, said a KWA source. “The design of the water distribution network will be based on the surveys. At present our understanding of the network is based on walk-through survey alone. But this is not enough, and we need to carry out trial pits and excavations to verify pipeline alignments and inspect underground infrastructure and get a precise understanding of the network,” the source said.

SUEZ officials said that all asbestos-cement pipes will be replaced by High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) pipes.

“The design of the network has started for Western Kochi. We are carrying out hydraulic modelling (forecasting water behaviour till 30 years from now) with respect to the demand, elevation, and sizes of the pipes. We are checking whether the size of the pipes is sufficient to cater to the demand or not,” they added.

The network is being designed based on a consumer survey and topographical survey.

The French firm has completed the door-to-door consumer survey of about 1,50,000 households in the Kochi Corporation. It is estimated that surveys in around 75,000-80,000 households are remaining.