Amid the delays plaguing proposals such as the 120 mld (million litres a day) Neyyar water supply scheme and the storage level enhancement of the Peppara dam, the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) is planning a new 100 mld water treatment plant (WTP) at Aruvikkara to cater to the future water needs of Thiruvananthapuram city.The preliminary engineering report (PER) for the project, which envisions a new 1200 mm transmission main from Aruvikkara to Peroorkada in addition to the WTP, is ready, according to the Water Resources Department. The additional 100 mld proposed from the new project will complement the existing 370 mld supply to the capital city. The ₹196.26 crore project is meant to cater to the growing water needs of the city region, Water Resources Minister Mons Joseph had informed the State Assembly last week.A senior KWA official said the 100 mld WTP is designed to meet the water needs of the city whose growth is on a north-south trajectory, linked to the Technopark-related IT boom and Vizhinjam International Seaport. The KWA presently operates a number of WTPs of varying capacities at Aruvikkara.Drawing a new transmission main from Aruvikkara to Peroorkada also will not require additional land acquisition as this pipeline can replace an old abandoned one, the official said.KWA views the 100 mld WTP as a phase-1 proposal for the future water supply development of the city, and the 120 mld Neyyar scheme as Phase-II and an alternative source.That said, the success of the new 100 mld WTP at Aruvikkara would depend on raising the storage level of the Peppara dam - the main water source for Thiruvananthapuram, a senior KWA official said. This proposal has been stuck in a limbo since 2019 despite it being billed as vital to the water security of the capital city. KWA had submitted a proposal to increase the water level from the present 107.5 metres to 110.5 metres in 2019, but it has yet to receive clearance from the Forest Department.The 120 mld Neyyar scheme also has not taken off following a dispute between the KWA and the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) over the alignment for the transmission main.The KWA would also need to address another persistent problem; non-revenue water (NRW) - water produced but lost in transit due to a variety of reasons including leaks and theft. The extent of NRW is over 30%, a service-level improvement plan prepared as part of the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation on the city’s water supply system had noted. Published - July 02, 2026 08:04 pm IST