The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Coimbatore News : Pipeline leaks pose contamination threat

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 31, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore

Pipeline leaks pose contamination threat

By Our Staff Reporter

DOWN THE DRAIN: Precious borewell water is wasted through a leak in a rusted pipe that passes through a open drainage canal at Redfields in the city. — Photo: K. Ananthan

COIMBATORE, JAN. 30. Leaks in drinking water and borewell water lines pose threat of contamination in the city. What heightens risk in these cases is the proximity of these lines to sewage. Many water lines run through open drainage canals. Leaks in the lines lead to sewage mixing with drinking or borewell water.

The Corporation sunk a number of borewells to overcome water crisis during the summers of 2003 and 2004. Piped supply of borewell water is provided through public fountains (road side taps) installed in all the streets.

This morning, substantial amount of water got wasted through a leak in a borewell line at Redfields. The rusted line passes across an open drainage canal, which is more a garbage dump. Residents in that area complain that the leak had been persisting for days. Elsewhere in the city, such lines are perilously close to stagnant sewage. If the sewage level rises above the leaking drinking water line, there is always the risk of sewage getting sucked into the line the moment water flow is stopped to attend to the leak.

Problem continues

Though sources in the Corporation admit that such instances persist, they contend that the situation is not as alarming as it was a year ago. Privatised maintenance of borewell lines has reduced the number of leaks and the frequency of occurrence has also come down. Yet, the lines spring a leak or two in most of the 72 wards. Even if they are attended to immediately, the problem surfaces elsewhere.

Contending that drinking water line leaks are attended to immediately by the engineering wing of the Corporation, they say problems recur because the lines are either weak or heavy traffic on some of the roads damage them. Sudden rise in the pressure (of the flow) also leads to leaks in the joints connecting two lines, they point out.

No explanation

However, there is no explanation on why some lines have been laid too close to the road surface, when rules say that these should be at least four feet below it. Laying the lines just one foot below the surface only invited risks.

The situation has come to be so accepted that the civic body now expects the public to provide timely information on such leaks. "There is enough awareness on the health hazards posed by the problem, but a permanent solution remains elusive," says the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) Councillor, M. Krishnaswamy. "In my ward (no.72), on an average borewell water leakage is reported at 40 - 50 places and drinking water at 10-20 spots. The areas include Ganapathy and Maniakarampalayam that are added areas of the Corporation. If drinking water and bore water lines should not face risk of sewage contamination, underground drainage is the only solution," he says.

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