Coimbatore Municipal Corporation
The existing water supply system in the city of Coimbatore was commissioned during the pre - independence era. The system had far outlived its useful life and was in dire need of replacement. Frequent leakages resulted in contamination of the supply and outbursts of pipes lead to wastage of water and hampered supply. The need of the hour was replacement of pipes as well as enhancement of capacity in a systematic manner to ensure that the water supply system remained compatible for the forthcoming years. Water being a vital part of everyday life, disruption of supply may lead to havoc, and at the same time, raising of water tariffs might have created public furore.
CCMC considered that the laying of pipes etc. could be undertaken by the CCMC on its own cost and then the asset could be tendered out for O
CCMC after taking up the project on BTO model, would lease out the asset to the same private partner for O
Implementing Agency- Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation
Project Structure- Build, Transfer and Operate (BTO)
Experience showed that when development and operations
To address the challenges, CCMC decided on a Build-Transfer-Operate (BTO) model. Under this structure, the private partner would handle the development of the project as an EPC contractor. Once fully developed, the asset would be transferred to the CCMC, ensuring both optimal project design and cost management, while also bringing in private sector efficiency and innovation.
The project was structured based on the reasons cited by potential bidders for their unwillingness to absorb construction risk. This flexibility and proactive approach of CCMC helped in improvising a successful PPP model for the unique project.
24x7 clean and safe water supply, 22000 leaks were rectified saving 194ML water.
This project provides the residents of Coimbatore with access to 24x7 water supply of clean and safe water. This has reduced risk of waterborne diseases and improved public health. The city has witnessed reduction in unauthorized water use through metering, monitoring and effective leakage control. It is estimated that over 22000 leaks have been rectified since 2019 saving around 194 ML water.
Consumers are encouraged to abandon their underground tanks and directly connect their service connections to the overhead tanks due to supply of water with high pressure. The design requirement is at a minimum of 7 m pressure at the consumer ferrule point, however after commissioning, 86% of the project area will have a pressure range of 10 to 25 m.
The system is integrated with GIS and GIS-based mobile app for meter reading, leading to ~25% water billing demand increase. Dedicated customer services team has been setup for meter reading, billing, collection and issuing notices, thus improving the overall collection by 50%.
The project can be implemented in other municipal corporations bringing private sector participations in construction and operation of water supply.
The innovative structure of the project insulated the concessionaire from two major risks – risk of construction cost escalation due to inadequate assessment of the investment need and the tariff risk. These two risks have been a major challenge for private sector participation in water projects in India. The innovative structure indicates an alternate arrangement that might be more viable for PPPs. The quote for EPC and O
The system is integrated with GIS and GIS-based mobile app for meter reading, leading to ~25% water billing demand increase. Dedicated customer services team has been setup for meter reading, billing, collection and issuing notices, thus improving the overall collection by 50%.
