About MyPlumbingPal
MyPlumbingPal is written and edited by Eng. Thilina Rathnayaka, a civil engineer with more than ten years on water supply and infrastructure projects under the Asian Development Bank, World Bank, UNDP, and JICA.
Who writes this site
Thilina holds a BSc in Civil Engineering from the University of Moratuwa (2016) and is currently pursuing an MSc in Water Resource Management and Engineering at the same institution. He works as a Water Supply Engineer at Ceywater Consultants, where he designs distribution networks, sizes hydraulic components, and prepares tender documents for utility-scale projects.
Over the past decade he has worked as:
- Senior Water Supply Engineer on the World Bank–funded Water Supply and Sanitation Improvement Project (2023–2024), managing project data across seven districts in Sri Lanka.
- Assistant to the ADB Consultant on the Non-Revenue Water (NRW) study for the Greater Colombo Water and Wastewater Management Improvement Investment Program — the findings were presented at the International Water Conference 2023.
- Consultant on ADB technical assistance programs including COVID-19 WASH+H, GHG emission accounting for the water sector, and climate resilience integration.
- Engineer on UNDP's Climate Resilient Integrated Water Management Project, planning rural water supply schemes in Kurunegala and Puttalam districts.
- Site Engineer on the Sooriyaara Rural Water Supply Scheme, doing leak detection and reconnecting an old pipe network to a new distribution system.
Why this site exists
Professional water-supply engineering and household plumbing share the same physics but rarely the same vocabulary. Homeowners searching for help with a frozen pipe, a failing water heater, or a slow drain land on pages that are either too shallow or written without regard for the codes and first principles that govern the system. MyPlumbingPal exists to close that gap: engineering analysis that is grounded in plumbing codes (IPC, UPC, and equivalents worldwide) and field practice drawn from experienced plumbers — cited, reviewed, and updated.
Publications
- Fernando, L.S.D. & Rathnayaka, P.A.T.P. (2023). NRW Study Carried Out on the Greater Colombo Water and Wastewater Management Improvement Investment Program. International Water Conference, NWS&DB Research Symposium, Sri Lanka.
Where my authority stops
I am a civil engineer, not a licensed residential plumber. The guides on this site reference U.S. plumbing codes (International Plumbing Code, Uniform Plumbing Code) and their international equivalents — those references are cited, not claimed as trade experience. For any work that requires a permit, a pressure test signed off by a licensing authority, or contact with your sewer or gas lines, call a licensed plumber in your jurisdiction. The guidance here is a starting point for understanding the problem, not a substitute for a tradesperson on site.
How to get in touch
- LinkedIn: thilina-rathnayaka
- Contact form: /contact-us/
- Error reports: /corrections/