The average age of the water supply pipelines in the city and surrounding areas is about 40 years. Overall, 60 per cent of the water distribution lines are at least over 30 years old and about 60 per cent of these pipes are over 50 years old.
In a city that has been growing by leaps and bounds, pipe bursts seem to have become the norm, and in many places, the city has grown so haphazardly that the Kerala Water Authority finds it difficult to find space to lay new lines. An old pipeline replacement project had to be abandoned half way through at Thammanam last year because there was no space to lay the new pipes.
Among the major distribution lines that are very old are the Kathrikadavu-Kaloor line for about 2-km stretch and the Thammanam-Palarivattom-Edappally stretch of about 6 km. The pipeline in Tripunithura from S. N. Junction to Puthiyakavu was about 60 years old and was among first stretch to be replaced among the very old pipes for which budgetary allowance was made during the previous year’s budget.
It was only two years ago that a thought went into changing the very old pipelines.
Though KWA seems to have no sketches of the overall distribution lines involving all the smaller pipelines, the agency officials claim to have the sketches of the larger pipelines.