COIMBATORE: Residents in parts of Coimbatore city faced yet another disruption in drinking water supply after the Pillur-2 water supply pipeline burst for the third time in the last two months near Saravanampatti on Sathy Road. Civic officials attributed the recurring failures to the age of the pipeline and pressure fluctuations in the system.
Coimbatore receives drinking water from the Pillur dam through three major schemes. Under the Pillur-2 project, water is transported through a 1,000 mm diameter cement pipeline that was laid in 1989. After nearly 36 years in service, the pipeline has weakened significantly and is unable to withstand high water pressure, leading to frequent ruptures.
Last month, when the pipeline burst in Saravanampatti, the damaged section was removed and replaced with a six-metre-long iron pipe. The repair work disrupted water supply to the northern parts of the city for nearly 10 days.
The latest incident occurred on Wednesday night after a brief power outage at the pumping station. When power was restored, the sudden surge in water pressure caused the pipeline to burst again at Amman Nagar in Saravanampatti around 11.30 pm. Pumping was immediately stopped, and water in the pipeline was drained before repair works began.
CCMC officials said the damaged cement pipe is being replaced with a six-metre iron pipe, and the work is expected to be completed by Friday midnight. Pumping is likely to resume by Saturday morning. As a temporary measure, water is being supplied through the Pillur-3 scheme, though it cannot cover all 34 wards dependent on Pillur-2, resulting in a one-day delay in regular supply.
CCMC officials added that a proposal is being prepared to lay an eight-kilometre-long new iron pipeline from Karattumedu to the Ramakrishnapuram tank, which could provide a long-term solution once government approval is obtained.