With a view to reducing revenue losses, the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) could be set to turn to helium gas technology in leak detection across its distribution network.
KWA will study a report that will be submitted by Degremont India, a subsidiary of French company Suez Environment that is using the helium-based technology at its projects in Mumbai and Delhi.
The use of helium technology is considered more cost-effective, compared to the smart ball technology that KWA is currently using for leak detection. For checking leaks in one meter of pipeline, the cost of smart ball technology is between $13.46 – $14.96 (Rs 900-Rs 1000), compared to charges of $1.34 – $1.49 (Rs 90-Rs 100) per metre with helium-based technology.
A KWA official explained that another major advantage is that it can even check leakages in small-size pipelines, which was not possible while using smart ball technology.
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