BWSSB has roped in experts from Indian
Institute of Science (IISc) to provide logistics for the pilot project,
which was proposed before elections were announced. If the project is
implemented, Bangalore will be the second city in the country to
undertake such an experiment.

According to officials, Delhi Jal
Nigam has already undertaken a similar venture and experts from IISc and
BWSSB visited Delhi to explore the viability of the project. They
recommended that a pilot project be undertaken to see if the technique
suits Bangalore’s conditions. 

The Technique

If successful,
this technique would be a boon for BWSSB as more than 36 per cent of the
water pumped by the Board goes unaccounted for and it is losing around
`20 crore every month due to  the leaks. BWSSB has already allotted
tenders to trace the leakages using complex techniques in three zones at
a cost of over `300 crore.

Since water leaks in the underground
pipelines go undetected for years, officials decided to release helium,
which does not affect the quality of the water. As helium is very light,
it rises above the ground and can be easily detected through specially
designed sensors by drilling small holes along the pipelines.

Leakages
in the water lines can easily be traced wherever the helium gas leakage
is traced. Such checks can be undertaken periodically and it would help
in maintenance.